The term "文明開化" (civilization and enlightenment) was used by Yukichi FUKUZAWA for the first time in his essay published in 1875, "Bunmeiron no gairyaku" (An Outline of a Theory of Civilization) as the translation of the word, civilization.
「文明開化」という言葉は福澤諭吉が『文明論之概略』明治8年（1875年）の中で、civilizationの訳語として使ったのが始まりである。