The society, whose aim was activities promoting enlightenment, was set up in the autumn of 1873 by Arinori MORI, who had returned to Japan from the United States of America in July of that year, along with people such as Yukichi FUKUZAWA, Hiroyuki KATO, Masanao NAKAMURA, Amane NISHI (an enlightenment intellectual), Shigeki NISHIMURA, Mamichi TSUDA, Shuhei MITSUKURI, Koji SUGI and Rinsho MITSUKURI.
1873年（明治6年）7月にアメリカ合衆国から帰国した森有礼(もりありのり)が、福澤諭吉・加藤弘之・中村正直・西周(啓蒙家)(にしあまね)・西村茂樹・津田真道・箕作秋坪・杉亨二・箕作麟祥らとともに同年秋に啓蒙活動を目的として結成。