21 the Western studies school, we can see that life there was full of free-dom and energy. At the end of his collection of Chinese poetry from the time, Enryō composed the following. If one looks out at today’s modern world, one sees it on a con-tinual road to advancement. Steamboats roll and wheels turn. distant lands feel as close as next door. Those who were strangers are now just like hometown friends. When we read this poem we can feel the strength of Enryō’s imagi-nation. It is a given in the context of today’s globalization, but his perception of “the world as one” as long as 150 years ago at the beginning of the Meiji period shows how he gained a new perspec-tive on the world at the Western studies school. This perspective was the jumping-off point for Enryō in challenging himself to travel around the world. During his time in Nagaoka Enryō was an ordinary young man being raised by parents passionate about education and curious about the early modernization of Japan. However, a time of great change was on its way. The people of the world go to and fro, as close as brothers, and
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