Natsume Soseki

Natsume Sōseki was one of the most influential and respected writers of modern Japan. He was born in 1867, the year of the Meiji Restoration, which marked the end of the feudal era and the beginning of the modernization of Japan. He grew up in a turbulent time, witnessing the social and cultural changes that transformed Japan from a closed and isolated country to a world power. He was also a sensitive and lonely child, who experienced several losses and hardships in his early life. He was adopted by a childless couple when he was a baby, but returned to his biological family when he was nine, after his foster parents divorced. His mother died when he was fourteen, and his two eldest brothers died soon after. He developed a passion for literature, especially Chinese classics, and dreamed of becoming a writer. However, his family did not approve of his literary aspirations, and pressured him to study architecture at the Tokyo Imperial University. He reluctantly complied, but switched to English literature after two years. He graduated in 1893 and became a teacher of English in various schools in Japan. In 1896, he married Natsume Kyōko, the daughter of his former teacher. They had two sons, but their marriage was not very happy, as Sōseki was often distant and absorbed in his work. In 1900, he was sent to England by the Japanese government to study English literature. He spent two years in London, where he suffered from loneliness, depression, and culture shock. He was also exposed to the works of Western writers, such as Shakespeare, Dickens, and Poe, which influenced his later writings. He returned to Japan in 1903 and became a lecturer of English literature at the Tokyo Imperial University. He also started his literary career, writing essays, poems, and novels. He became friends with Masaoka Shiki, a famous haiku poet, who encouraged him to write novels. He published his first novel, I Am a Cat, in 1905, which was a humorous and satirical commentary on the Meiji society, seen from the perspective of a stray cat. He followed with other novels, such as Botchan, Sanshirō, Sorekara, Mon, Kokoro, and Michikusa, which explored the themes of alienation, loneliness, morality, love, and death. He also wrote fairy tales, such as Ten Nights of Dream, and essays, such as The Theory of Literature. He was widely acclaimed as a master of the modern novel, and was admired by both critics and readers. He became the most popular and influential writer of his time, and was considered a candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature. He was also a respected scholar and teacher, who mentored many young writers, such as Akutagawa Ryūnosuke and Tanizaki Jun'ichirō. He suffered from various health problems, such as asthma, angina, and stomach ulcer. He died in 1916, at the age of 49, leaving behind his last and unfinished novel, Light and Darkness. He was buried in Zōshigaya Cemetery in Tokyo, where his grave is visited by many admirers. His works have been translated into many languages and are widely read around the world. He is regarded as one of the greatest writers of Japanese literature, and his influence can be seen in the works of many contemporary Japanese writers. He is also honored by having his portrait on the Japanese 1,000 yen note, and by having several museums and monuments dedicated to him.