''Meiroku zasshi'' (明六雑誌) was a

Japanese language is the principal language of the Japonic languages, Japonic language family spoken by the Japanese people. It has around 123 million speakers, primarily in Japan, the only country where it is the national language, and within the Japanese dia ...

magazine which was in circulation between 1874 and 1875 during the

Meiji period The was an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonizatio ...

History and profile

''Meiroku zasshi'' was launched in 1874, and the first issue was published on 2 April 1874. The founders were the members of

Meirokusha The was an intellectual society in Meiji period Japan that published social-criticism journal . Proposed by statesman Mori Arinori in 1873 (six years after the Meiji Restoration) and officially formed on 1 February 1874, the Meirokusha was int ...

, a group of Japanese intellectuals, including

Fukuzawa Yukichi was a Japanese educator, philosopher, writer, entrepreneur and samurai who founded Keio Gijuku, the newspaper ', and the Institute for Study of Infectious Diseases. Fukuzawa was an early advocate for reform in Japan. His ideas about the or ...

. The publisher was the Hochisha Company, and it was published on a B6 size or A5 size calligraphy paper. Leading contributors included

Mori Arinori Viscount (August 23, 1847 – February 12, 1889) was a Meiji period Japanese statesman, diplomat, and founder of Japan's modern educational system. Mori Arinori served as the first Minister of Education in the first Ito Cabinet of Japan, playi ...

, future education minister of Japan, and

Tsuda Mamichi Baron was a Japanese statesman and legal scholar in the Meiji period. He was one of the founding members of the Meirokusha with Mori Arinori, Nishimura Shigeki, Fukuzawa Yukichi, Kato Hiroyuki, Nakamura Masanao, and Nishi Amane. Early lif ...

. ''Meiroku zasshi'' is one of the earliest publications in Japan which covered writings on

Western culture Western culture, also known as Western civilization, European civilization, Occidental culture, Western society, or simply the West, refers to the Cultural heritage, internally diverse culture of the Western world. The term "Western" encompas ...

. Given that it was a publication of the Meiji period it frequently discussed education-related topics in regard to

morality Morality () is the categorization of intentions, Decision-making, decisions and Social actions, actions into those that are ''proper'', or ''right'', and those that are ''improper'', or ''wrong''. Morality can be a body of standards or principle ...

in the family as well as in the nation. ''Meiroku zasshi'' sold nearly 3,000 copies in 1884. ''Meiroku zasshi'' was published twice or three times per month and folded following the 43rd issue which appeared on 14 November 1875. In 1975 William Braisted published a book on the magazine entitled ''Meiroku Zasshi: Journal of the Japanese Enlightenment''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Meiroku zasshi 1874 establishments in Japan 1875 disestablishments in Japan Biweekly magazines published in Japan Cultural magazines Defunct magazines published in Japan Magazines established in 1874 Magazines disestablished in 1875 Defunct magazines published in Tokyo