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Fukuchi Gen'ichirō | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
福地 源一郎 | |||||
 Fukuchi Gen'ichirō | |||||
| Born | Fukuchi Gen'ichirō May 13, 1841 Nagasaki, Japan | ||||
| Died | January 4, 1906 (aged 64) Tokyo, Japan | ||||
| Nationality | Japanese | ||||
| Other names | Yasokichi (八十吉) Fukuchi Ōchi (福地 桜痴) | ||||
| Occupation(s) | Journalist, Novelist, Playwright | ||||
| Known for | Creating Japan's first daily newspaper. (Nichi Nichi Shimbun) | ||||
| Notable work | |||||
| Japanese name | |||||
| Kanji | 福地源一郎 | ||||
| Hiragana | ふくち げんいちろう | ||||
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Fukuchi Gen'ichirō (福地 源一郎, May 13, 1841 – January 4, 1906) was a Japanese journalist, critic, playwright and novelist from the late-Meiji period. As a child he was known as Yasokichi (八十吉) and later on wrote plays and novels under the pseudonym Fukuchi Ōchi (福地 桜痴).[1]
Biography edit
Early Life edit
Fukuchi was born in Nagasaki on May 13, 1841 as the son of a Confucian scholar, he was the eighth child of the Fukuchi household following that of seven daughters[2]. He would begin his formal studies in Chinese classics at age four then studying calligraphy at age five. When he turned seven, he was sent to the Osagawa household where he would develop an interest in Japanese history. He would excel in these studies thanks to his early adoption of Confucian studies from his younger days.[1]
Being born in Nagasaki during the height of international trade during that era, Fukuchi would learn both Western and Eastern philosophies. He would also come to witness the forced opening of Japan by Commodore Matthew Perry at the age of 12, at this point his father realized that those who were able to navigate the changing landscape of Japan would be needed, so Fukuchi was sent to study Dutch under the guidance of Namura Hachiemon. He would learn Dutch quickly and become a teacher in Namura's school as well as working as a translator for the shogun's office. Fukuchi and Namura would stay in Dejima where the Dutch traders settled. On this island was where Fukuchi would discover newspapers and became enamored with the idea of the newspaper. However, Fukuchi's abrasive attitude threatened his career in Dutch studies as he constantly boasted his intellect, bringing ire not only to Namura's other students but to Namura's daughter as well who was set to be his future wife. Namura decided to dismiss Fukuchi and severed all ties with him.[1]
Thankfully the demand for Dutch interpreters was still high. So in 1860, Fukuchi moved to Edo in order to find a new job. During his first few months in the city, Fukuchi would become acquainted with Moriyama Takichirō who was the leading interpreter for the Bakufu and the two quickly became close friends. During this time, Fukuchi would also become notorious thanks to his brash attitude and intellect. He would also often come to the prostitute quarters of Yoshiwara, here he would meet a prostitute named Ōji which was how he would come up with his novelist pseudonym, Ōchi (桜痴).[1]
Early Career edit
In 1861, Fukuchi joined a mission to Europe acting as an interpreter and once more in 1865 in order to learn French. On his second visit, Fukuchi would once more become interested in the newspapers being published in the western hemisphere, he would also being showing interest in western theater and literature. His travels abroad has also shown him how far-behind Japan was in terms of international diplomacy. While not all of the west appealed to him, he understands that Japan should start learning from the new international connections between Japan and the West.[1]
With this in mind he published his first newspaper with the help of his friends Saigiku Jōno, Kosuke Hiraoka and Nishida Densuke named Kokō Shimbun on May 24, 1868. Unlike most newspapers during the time, Fukuchi took a more western approach with his newspaper with stories regarding war, drama and opinion columns. Another distinction he made was that he proclaimed that the newspaper was not only for men but for "women and children too" which was unheard of during the era. His friend Jōno, a writer of gesaku fiction, also helped make the newspaper easy to understand for most commoners.[1]
In 1870, he was also introduced to Shibusawa Eiichi and Itō Hirobumi. He joined the Ministry of Finance and was sent to the United States along with Itō where he met president Ulysses S. Grant, Hamilton Fish, and members of the cabinet. During his time in the United States, he would learn to research laws regarding accounting as well as understanding the banking system of the United States.[1]
The Nichi Nichi Shimbun and Politics edit
In 1874, he would join the Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun as the new lead writer of the newspaper after being invited to write for the newspaper by the founder and his friend, Saigiku Jōno. He was hesitant at first due to being offered a position by a different newspaper but rejected the offer in order to work for the Nichi Nichi Shimbun. During this time he started writing his signature editorials which greatly increased the popularity of the newspaper. Fukuchi during this time also became more open with his politics, aligning himself with the Meiji oligarchy and identifying himself as a gradualist, outlined in his editorial column in 1879 named Gradualism (漸進主義, Zenshin shugi) which he defines the position as "a position that accepts imperial authority at the top with a trillion people below enjoying freedom beneath to participate in government and develop gradually."[1]
Fukuchi's pro-oligarch stance is most shown with the formation of the Rikken Teiseitō, a conservative political party formed in 1882. The party's formation was supported by the Meiji oligarch with the most notable ones being Itō Hirobumi and Inoue Kaoru.[3] The party mainly supported the idea of a constitutional monarchy along with restrictions for freedom of speech and assembly. However, the party dissolved after one year of activity in 1883.
In 1888, Fukuchi would resign from the Nichi Nichi Shimbun due to the slumping sales.
Theatre and Literary Career edit
Death edit
Works by Fukuchi edit
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g h Huffman, James L. (1980). Politics of the Meiji Press: The Life of Fukuchi Genʼichirō. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 9780824806798.
- ^ "転身し続けた異彩の人・福地桜痴(福地源一郎)". Nagasaki Prefecture Culture Promotion Division. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Sims, R. L. (2001). Japanese political history since the Meiji renovation, 1868-2000. New York: Palgrave. ISBN 0-312-23914-9. OCLC 45172740.
Category:Japanese male writers Category:1841 births Category:1906 deaths Category:Japanese dramatists and playwrights Category:Japanese journalists Category:Male dramatists and playwrights Category:Male journalists Category:19th-century Japanese dramatists and playwrights Category:19th-century journalists Category:19th-century Japanese writers Category:19th-century male writers Category:Writers from Nagasaki Prefecture Category:People from Nagasaki Category:Members of the Iwakura Mission Category:Members of the First Japanese Embassy to Europe
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