Masamichi Ogawara Seminar

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Masamichi Ogawara
Faculty of Law Professor, Department of Political Science (Japanese Political History / History of Japanese Political Thought)

Masamichi Ogawara
Faculty of Law Professor, Department of Political Science (Japanese Political History / History of Japanese Political Thought)

Change of government through elections, decentralization, the parliamentary cabinet system, freedom of speech, improvement of public morals, promotion of education... These political topics we hear about today were, in fact, advocated by Yukichi Fukuzawa over 100 years ago. While many of these ideas were not realized at the time, Keio University has produced many politicians, from Tsuyoshi Inukai and Yukio Ozaki to Junichiro Koizumi and Ichiro Ozawa. What did they learn, what did they seek, what did they achieve, and what did they leave behind in history? This seminar focuses on the political thought and movements of Fukuzawa and his disciples, investigating their realities, achievements, and possibilities. Collecting materials, reading them thoroughly, organizing them, presenting, debating, and compiling them into a thesis—the activities in this seminar are a process of deepening not only specialized knowledge but also the high-level skills required in society and the bonds with irreplaceable colleagues.