Kitaoka Shinichi was born in 1948 and studied at The University of Tokyo (B.A. 1971, Ph.D. 1976). He taught at Rikyo University (1976-97) and his alma mater (1991-2004, 2006-12), while serving as Ambassador to the United Nations (2004-2006). Then he became a professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS, 2012-15), President of the International University of Japan (IUJ, 2012-15), and Chairman of the Board of Nara Prefectural University (2015- ). He is currently President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). He is Emeritus Professor of The University of Tokyo.

It is said that Japan is currently experiencing its third opening to the outside world. However, in terms of importance, rather than the so-called second opening—which refers to the reforms following World War II—the more significant opening was that of the Meiji Restoration, initiated and carried out by the Japanese themselves. Consequently, as Japan today finds itself feeling trapped with a sense of despair, it is to the Meiji era that we should turn, and more than to anyone else, the person we should turn to is Fukuzawa Yukichi.

「現在、日本では第三の開國といわれている。しかし、日本人が自ら決定し、実行したという點において、より重要なのは、第二の開國すなわち戦後改革ではなく、第一の開國すなわち明治維新である。閉塞狀況にある日本で、したがって、われわれが振り返るべき時代は明治維新であり、振り返るべき人物は福沢諭吉ではないだろうか。

この本の目的は、一般読者のために、現在の福沢研究の成果を盛り込みながら、福沢の全體像を一冊にまとめて紹介することにある。」(「はじめに」より)