Fukuzawa was a Japanese author, writer, teacher, translator, entrepreneur and political theorist who founded Keio University. His ideas about government and social institutions made a lasting impression on a rapidly changing Japan during the Meiji Era. He is regarded as one of the founders of modern Japan. Fukuzawa's most important contribution to the reformation effort, though, came in the form of a newspaper called "Jiji Shimpo" ("Current Events"), which he started in 1882, after being prompted by Kaoru Inoue, Shigenobu Okuma, and Hirobumi Ito to establish a strong influence among the people through publishing. All agreed the government should take the form of a national assembly, and as reforms began, Fukuzawa, whose fame was already unquestionable, began production of "Jiji Shimpo," which received wide circulation, encouraging the people to enlighten themselves and to adopt a moderate political attitude towards the change that was being engineered within the social and political structures of Japan. He translated many books and journals into Japanese on a wide variety of subjects, including chemistry, the arts, military and society, and published many books (in multiple volumes) and journals himself describing western society, his own philosophy and change. His ideas about individual strength and his knowledge of western political theory, as presented in his writings, were instrumental in motivating the Japanese people to embrace change. He may well have been one of the most influential personalities in the modernization of Japan and one of the most progressive thinkers in Japan. He is regarded as one of the leaders of the Meiji Restoration. Fukuzawa never accepted a government position, and remained a private citizen all of his life. By the time of his death, he was revered as one of the founders of modern Japan. All of his work was written and was released at a critical juncture in the Japanese society and uncertainty for the Japanese people about their future after the signing of the Unequal treaties, their realization in the weakness of the Japanese government at the time (Tokugawa Shogunate) and its inability to repel American and European influences on Japanese society. It should also be noted that there were band of groups of samurai, that tried to forcefully remove the Americans and Europeans and their friends by force such as through murder and destruction, so Fukuzawa was also in danger of his life. One of his colleagues lost his life to the group, because his philosophy was similar to Fukazawa's. He emerged at a time when the Japanese people needed to decided whether to be bitter about the American and European forced treaties and "imperialism", or understand and move forward. Fukuzawa greatly influenced the latter outcome. Due to his appearance on the current 10,000-yen banknote, Fukuzawa has been compared to Benjamin Franklin of the United States. It is interesting to note that Franklin appears on the similarly-valued $100 bill. Although all other figures appearing on Japanese banknotes changed when the yen bills were redesigned recently, Fukuzawa remained on the 10,000-yen note. His former residence in the city of Nakatsu in Ōita Prefecture is a Nationally Designated Cultural Asset. The house and the Yukichi Fukuzawa Memorial Hall (Museum) are the major tourist attractions of that city.