ABSTRACT
Fukuzawa Yukichi1 made three visits to the West, as a young man, under the auspices of the old regime. From these experiences he recognised that one way for the Japanese to learn about the developed world was by studying books in European languages. As he had written, when in London in 1862, ‘there is no way but to buy books. I have already bought many volumes in London, and shall do the same when we go to Holland.’2 Fukuzawa recognised that his countrymen, who could not hope to visit in person the countries of Europe or America, would have to learn by reading books from the West. In this sense Fukuzawa, with his strong commitment to using foreign books, was the inspiration for the enterprise of Maruzen.
