"It is said that heaven does not create one man above or below another man. Any existing distinction between the wise and the stupid, between the rich and the poor, comes down to a matter of education. All human beings at their birth are equal in status. They are distinguished not by birth, but by the fact that some learn and others do not. People who have learning are of high status and wealth, while those who are ignorant are poor and of low status. Learning does not mean knowing strange words or reading old classical texts or enjoying poetry. Such pursuits bring happiness to the scholars, but as a model for living they have no special value. Learning must be close to what we need in everyday life."

Fukuzawa Yukichi, An Encouragement of Learning (Gakumon no Susume), 1872. Fukuzawa was Japan's most influential Meiji-era intellectual, educator and journalist. The book sold approximately 3.4 million copies — extraordinary for a population of around 35 million.