He was born in Mito, a son of the scholar Fujita Yukoku. His father worked at the Shokokan, which compiled the domain's history Dai Nihonshi, and strongly preached reverence for the emperor. From childhood Toko studied at his father's private school and deeply inherited his thought.
English whalers landed at Otsuhama in Mito domain. His father Yukoku, enraged, is said to have ordered Toko to strike the foreigners, but they were sent away before he could act. The event strengthened Toko's expel-the-barbarians views.
His father Yukoku died and Toko became head of the family. Working at the Shokokan and carrying on his father's teaching, he took part in both learning and domain politics. While young he became one of the leaders of Mito learning.
In the dispute over the succession of the Mito lord, Toko and others worked hard to back the lord's brother Nariaki, who became lord. From then on Toko, as Nariaki's most trusted retainer, was deeply involved in reforming the domain.
When Nariaki planned the domain school Kodokan, Toko drafted the Kodokan-ki stating its educational ideals. Preaching the union of letters and arms and devotion to the country, the text became widely known as an expression of Mito learning.
Mito's domain school Kodokan opened, a large school teaching learning, martial arts and even medicine. As a central figure in Nariaki's reforms, Toko also worked on land surveys and strengthening defenses. Mito's reforms drew attention nationwide.
Nariaki's rapid reforms were censured by the shogunate, and he was forced to retire and ordered into confinement. Toko too was dismissed and confined to his house. In those hard days he kept writing down his thoughts.
While confined he wrote the Kodokan-ki jutsugi, the Kaiten shishi and the Chinese poem Song of Righteous Spirit. Filled with fervent love of country, these works were later widely read by young late-Edo activists and influenced them greatly.
When Perry arrived, Nariaki was named adviser on coastal defense to the shogunate, and Toko assisted him in Edo. As facing the foreigners became a great national issue, Mito thinking drew the attention of samurai across Japan.
Young samurai from many domains visited Toko in Edo. Saigo Takamori of Satsuma and Hashimoto Sanai of Echizen also met him and are said to have been strongly drawn to his character and ideas. Toko became like a teacher to the activists of the late Edo period.
A great earthquake struck Edo, and the Mito mansion at Koishikawa collapsed. Toko escaped once, but is said to have gone back to save his mother and died shielding her from a falling beam. He was 49. Nariaki grieved deeply.
Matthew C. PerrySaigō TakamoriHashimoto SanaiKumazawa BanzanAizawa SeishisaiTokugawa NariakiYokoi Shōnan
Egawa HidetatsuKawaji ToshiakiraTakano ChōeiTownsend HarrisShimazu NariakiraYokoi ShōnanOgata KōanHotta Masayoshi
People of the Edo period ・ People by period
Based on facts found in textbooks and biographies. Uncertain points are marked as such.