Knowra Mori Ōgai Mori Ōgai Mori Ōgai (1862–1922) was a Japanese novelist, poet, translator, and physician whose writing brought Western literary ideas into dialogue with Japanese culture.
The Dancing Girl : A novella by Mori Ōgai about a Japanese student in Berlin and his relationship with a German dancer. This early novella draws on Ōgai’s experience studying in Germany.
Meiji era : The period of Japanese history from 1868 to 1912, marked by political centralization and rapid modernization. Ōgai’s career unfolded as Japan reorganized its institutions and encountered Western culture.
Natsume Sōseki : A Japanese novelist and scholar whose works examine modernity, alienation, and social change. Sōseki and Ōgai are central, distinct voices in modern Japanese literature.
Japanese translation of Western literature : The translation of literature from European and other Western languages into Japanese. Ōgai’s translations made foreign works and literary techniques available in Japan.
Japanese naturalism : A literary movement in Japan that emphasized psychological exposure and representations of everyday life. Ōgai’s controlled historical fiction differs from naturalism’s emphasis on personal confession.
Vita Sexualis : A novel by Mori Ōgai that recounts a philosopher’s sexual development from childhood to adulthood. Its frank treatment of sexuality prompted controversy when it appeared in 1909.
Tokyo Imperial University : A Japanese national university founded in 1877, later renamed the University of Tokyo. Ōgai studied medicine there before entering government service.
Kōda Rohan : A Japanese novelist known for works combining historical subjects, Buddhist thought, and classical style. Rohan belonged to the same generation of major Meiji-era literary innovators.
Tanka : A Japanese poetic form traditionally organized into five phrases of 5, 7, 5, 7, and 7 sound units. Ōgai wrote and translated poetry while participating in modern Japanese literary life.
I-novel : A Japanese prose-fiction form that presents personal experience in an autobiographical mode. Ōgai’s fiction often resists the direct autobiographical exposure associated with the form.
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