Fukuzawa Yukichi Memorial Keio History Museum 2025 Fall Special Exhibition (October 16—December 13) Fukuzawa Yukichi, Kitazawa Rakuten, and the Dawn of Modern Manga
Fukuzawa Yukichi Memorial Keio History Museum 2025 Fall Special Exhibition (October 16—December 13) Fukuzawa Yukichi, Kitazawa Rakuten, and the Dawn of Modern Manga
“Manga,” a word that has become iconic around the world, was originally coined in a newspaper started by Fukuzawa Yukichi, Jiji Shimpō .
It was in this very newspaper that Kitazawa Rakuten (1876–1955), known as the founding father of modern manga, developed a popular manga column that became a hallmark of Jiji Shimpō.
While Rakuten’s manga is often associated with political satire, its true distinctiveness lies in pioneering the genre as entertainment that could be enjoyed by anyone at home. At the heart of this lies Fukuzawa Yukichi and his vision of bringing laughter and camaraderie into the daily lives of Japanese people. By exploring the pioneering work of Kitazawa Rakuten, this exhibition sheds light on the unexpected relationship between Fukuzawa and manga.
1. Exhibition Details
Dates: Thursday, October 16, 2025–Saturday, December 13, 2025
Closed: November 20, November 25, Sundays and public holidays
Special openings: November 23–24
Venue: Temporary Exhibition Room, Keio History Museum
Address: 2nd Floor, Old University Library, Keio University Mita Campus 2-15-45 Mita,
Minato Ward, Tokyo 108-8345
Open: 10:00–18:00
Admission: Free and open to the public
Details: https://history.keio.ac.jp/?page_id=4278 (Japanese)
*For the latest information, please visit the exhibition website: https://history.keio.ac.jp/en
2. Exhibition Structure
1. Fukuzawa Yukichi with a Smile
2. Enter Kitazawa Rakuten!
3. Rakuten’s Legacy
3. Featured Items
1. Fukuzawa Yukichi, Translation Manuscript for Jiji Shimpō English Joke “An Easy Solution” (1891)
2. Imaizumi Ippyō, “Dream Pillow in Beijing”(1884)
3. Kitazawa Rakuten, “Yamato-hime and Britannia”(1902)
4. Kitazawa Rakuten, Original Drawing: “Teino’s False Tears”(1928)
5. Kitazawa Rakuten, Original Drawing: “Fukuzawa in His Later Years”(1931)
6. Photograph: Kitazawa Rakuten at the Jiji Shimpō Office
7. Letter from Kitazawa Rakuten to Itakura Takuzō (1950) (Items 1–3 and 7 are from the collection of the Fukuzawa Memorial Center for Modern Japanese Studies, while items 4–6 are from the collection of the Saitama Municipal Cartoon Art Museum)
at the Jiji Shimpō Office
to Takuzō Itakura
4. Related Events
(1) The Rakuten Prize Challenge
Win prizes by solving riddles that Rakuten published for his readers
Open: Thursday, October 16–Monday, November 24
Winners in both the elementary school and general audience categories will receive Keio merchandise as a prize.
*For further details, please visit the homepage of the exhibition website: https://history.keio.ac.jp/ (Japanese)
(2) Gallery Talk:
Dates: Tuesday, October 28, Thursday, November 13, and Friday, December 5, 2025
Each talk begins at 14:00 and will last about 50 minutes. Seating is limited to 15 people on a first-come, first-served basis.
Guide: Tokura Takeyuki (Vice director of the Fukuzawa Yukichi Memorial Keio History Museum and professor at the Fukuzawa Memorial Center for Modern Japanese Studies)
*Please direct any requests or inquiries to the contacts listed below in advance of any press coverage.
*We have sent this news release to the MEXT Press Club and the social, educational and cultural news departments of other media outlets.
・Contact information for inquiries about this exhibition
Fukuzawa Yukichi Memorial Keio History Museum
Tel: 03-5427-1200 Fax: 03-5427-1605 Email: info@history.keio.ac.jp
・Source of this release
Office of Communications and Public Relations (Attn: Saido)
Tel: 03-5427-1541 Fax: 03-5441-7640
Email: m-pr@adst.keio.ac.jp https://www.keio.ac.jp/en