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Natsume Soseki (1867–1916)
Modern Japanese Literature’s Individual
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Early Life
Soseki was born in 1867, the year before the Meiji Revolution. He grew up in Tokyo during the early years of the Meiji period.
In 1884, he entered Tokyo Imperial University and studied English there.
At the turn of the century (1901), he went to England in order to study English Literature and lived in London for two years.
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Career Information
Soseki began writing in 1903, when he was around 36 years old, while he was working as a university instructor.
He published his first novel, I am a Cat, in 1905.
He left the university and started working for the Asahi Shimbun in 1907 as a full time writer.
His most famous work, Kokoro, was published in 1914.
He published many novels and works of literature during his lifetime, as well as essays and a book on literary criticism, 『文学論』.
Soseki died in 1916, the fourth year of Taisho.
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Influence
Soseki is one of the most important novelists of Meiji Japan. He had a big influence on the development of the novel in Meiji Japan as well as introducing many issues associated with Japanese modernity. His legacy continues today and he is still read by both Japanese and foreign readers.
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Representative Works in English
Natsume, Sōseki. Kokoro: Translated from Japanese with a foreword by Edwin McClellan. Washington, D.C.: Regnery, 1957.
Natsume, Sōseki. I am a Cat. Tokyo: Tuttle, 1985.
Natsume, Sōseki. Botchan. Tokyo: Tuttle,
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Why I Chose Soseki…
“Let alone, the issue of English literature, I could not even understand what is literature…I realized that the only way that I could save myself was that I had to establish the concept ‘literature’ by myself… As an example, even though Westerners says that it is a wonderful poem or it shows excellent skill in handling the vocabulary, it can only be my reference as a point of view from Westerners. I cannot accept the view if I do not agree with it. I should have my own opinion as a citizen since I am an independent Japanese not a slave of English.”
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