2.   >   Individuals Connected to Soseki

Individuals Connected to Soseki

Akagi Kohei
(1891–1949) Critic and politician. He met Soseki through his friend, the author Suzuki Miekichi, and wrote the first biography of Soseki.
Akutagawa Ryunosuke
(1892–1927) Novelist. After his short story Hana (The Nose) was highly praised by Soseki, he went on to become one of the leading writers of the Taisho period. His major works include Jigoku hen (Hell Screen) and Haguruma (Spinning Gears).
Abe Jiro
(1883–1959) Philosopher and critic. His autobiographical novel Santaro no nikki became a Taisho-period bestseller. He later advocated the ideology of personalism and served on the faculty of Tohoku Imperial University (now Tohoku University) for many years, starting in 1923.
Abe Yoshishige
(1883–1966) Philosopher, critic, and educator. He was taught by Soseki at the First Higher Middle School. He served as principal of his alma mater, and later as Minister of Education and principal of Gakushuin University after World War II.
Iwanami Shigeo
(1881–1946) Founder of publishing company Iwanami Shoten. After setting up Iwanami Shoten, he published many of Soseki’s works, starting with Kokoro.
Uchida Hyakken
(1889–1971) Novelist and essayist. He proofread a complete collection of Soseki’s works. His own representative works include Meido (Realm of the Dead) and Gansaku wagahai wa neko de aru (“I Am a Cat: The Counterfeit Version”).
Eguchi Kan
(1887–1975) Novelist and critic. He was among the first to appraise the works of Akutagawa Ryunosuke. He later became involved in the socialist movement in Japan.
Kikuchi Kan
(1888–1948) Founder of the publishing company Bungeishunjusha and novelist. He set up Bungeishunjusha and developed a wide range of businesses while also writing novels and plays.
Kume Masao
(1891–1952) Novelist and playwright. Soseki praised his writing along with that of Akutagawa Ryunosuke. After Soseki’s death, he wrote many plays and popular novels.
Komiya Toyotaka
(1884–1966) Scholar of German literature and critic. He played a central role in compiling a complete collection of Soseki’s works. He also wrote critical biographies such as Natsume Soseki. He took up a post at Tohoku Imperial University (now Tohoku University) at the invitation of Abe Jiro and worked there until retirement age. He later taught at Gakushuin University.
Suzuki Miekichi
(1882–1936) Novelist and author of children’s stories. Soseki praised his novels. However, after Soseki’s death, he turned to writing children’s stories and edited the magazine Akai tori.
Takahama Kyoshi
(1874–1959) Haiku poet and novelist. He learned haiku from Soseki’s friend Masaoka Shiki. Kyoshi recommended that Soseki take up writing, leading him to pen Wagahai wa neko de aru (I Am a Cat).
Tsuda Seifu
(1880–1978) Artist. He worked on the book cover designs of Soseki’s works including Michikusa (Grass on the Wayside) and Meian (Light and Dark). He also taught Soseki the basics of painting.
Terada Torahiko
(1878–1935) Physicist and essayist. He was taught by Soseki at the Fifth Higher Middle School in Kumamoto. While conducting research on physics, he also wrote many essays under the pen name Yoshimura Fuyuhiko.
Naka Kansuke
(1885–1965) Novelist, poet, and essayist. He was taught by Soseki starting at the First Higher Middle School, and Soskeki highly praised his novel Gin no saji (The Silver Spoon).
Nogami Toyoichiro
(1883–1950) Scholar of Noh drama and English literature. He was taught by Soseki at the First Higher Middle School. In English literature, he focused on theatrical studies and later made a name for himself as a researcher in the field of Noh drama. The Nogami Memorial Noh Theater Research Institute of Hosei University, where he served on the faculty, is named after him. His wife was novelist Nogami Yaeko.
Nomura Denshi
(1880–1948) Educator. Soseki’s former student, he worked as a schoolteacher and later became the director of the Nara Prefectural Library (now the Nara Prefectural Library and Information Center). He also conducted research on the dialect of his native Kagoshima.
Hayashibara Kozo
(1887–1975) Scholar of English literature and haiku poet. He was Soseki’s former student and introduced him to Kume Masao and Akutagawa Ryunosuke. After graduating from Tokyo Impelial University, he taught at Hosei University and Meiji University. He was also an avid writer of haiku poems.
Matsuoka Yuzuru
(1891–1969) Novelist. He married Soseki’s eldest daughter Fudeko. He compiled his conversations with Soseki’s wife, Kyoko to publish Soseki no omoide (“Memories of Soseki”).
Matsune Toyojo
(1878–1964) Haiku poet. He was taught by Soseki at Ehime Prefectural Common Middle School. After moving to Tokyo, Soseki introduced him to the poet Masaoka Shiki, and he began composing haiku. He also launched the haiku magazine Shibugaki.
Morita Sohei
(1881–1949) Novelist. On Soseki’s recommendation, he published an account of his love affair with writer and feminist activist Hiratsuka Raicho as the novel Baien. He also served as editor of the literary column that Soseki launched in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper.
Watsuji Tetsuro
(1889–1960) Philosopher, cultural historian, and ethicist. Although he was never Soseki’s student, he became acquainted with Soseki out of deep admiration. He wrote numerous books on cultural history, including Koji junrei (Pilgrimages to the Ancient Temples in Nara). He became a professor at the Tokyo Imperial University in 1934 and remained there until retirement.
Ikeda Kikunae
(1864–1936) Chemist. He met Soseki during his stay in London and impressed him with his depth of knowledge, which was not limited only to science. He is known for discovering the chemical basis of umami taste. He served as a professor at Tokyo Imperial University and as a member of the Imperial Academy.
Kano Kokichi
(1865–1942) Philosopher and educator. He was Soseki’s colleague at the Fifth Higher Middle School in Kumamoto and became his lifelong friend. He served in posts such as principal of the First Higher Middle School and dean of the College of Letters at Kyoto Imperial University.
Suga Torao
(1864–1943) Educator and calligrapher. He was Soseki’s senior at Imperial University, and the two established close terms, with Suga introducing work to Soseki. Suga educated many members of the younger generation as a professor of German at the First Higher Middle School.
Nakamura Yoshikoto
(1867–1927) Government bureaucrat. He became friends with Soseki while they were classmates at the Preparatory School of the University of Tokyo. After being appointed president of the South Manchuria Railway Company, he invited Soseki on a tour of Manchuria. He later became mayor of Tokyo.
Masaoka Shiki
(1867–1902) Haiku and tanka poet. He became friends with Soseki while they were classmates at the First Higher Middle School. Based on his study of haiku, he presided over the literary magazine Hototogisu and advocated for a style of haiku inspired by observation of nature.
Natsume Kyoko
(1877–1963) Soseki’s wife. She was the daughter of Nakane Shigekazu, the Chief Secretary of the Japanese House of Peers. She and Soseki married in 1895 and had two sons and five daughters.
Natsume (Matsuoka) Fudeko
(1899–1981) Soseki’s firstborn child and eldest daughter. She was born while Soseki was working at the Fifth Higher Middle School in Kumamoto. She was courted by Mokuyokai member Kume Masao but ended up marrying Matsuoka Yuzuru.
Natsume Tsuneko
(1901–1936) Soseki’s second daughter.
 
Natsume Eiko
(1903–1979) Soseki’s third daughter.
 
Natsume Aiko
(1905–1981) Soseki’s fourth daughter.
 
Natsume Junichi
(1907–1999) Soseki’s eldest son and a violinist. He served as concertmaster in the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra but never spoke much of his father, Soseki.
Natsume Shinroku
(1908–1975) Soseki’s second son and an essayist. After leaving the publishing company Bungeishunjusha, he wrote works depicting Soseki’s life from his own perspective such as Chichi Natsume Soseki (“My Father, Natsume Soseki”) and Neko no haka (“The Cat’s Grave”).
Natsume Hinako
(1910–1911) Soseki’s fifth daughter and youngest child. She died suddenly before reaching the age of two, leaving Soseki devastated. He described this experience in his novel Higan sugi made (To the Spring Equinox and Beyond).
Matsuoka Yuzuru
(1891–1969) Novelist. He married Soseki’s eldest daughter Fudeko. He compiled his conversations with Soseki’s wife Kyoko to publish Soseki no omoide (“Memories of Soseki”).
Ikebe Sanzan
(1864–1912) Journalist. As editor-in-chief of the Osaka Asahi Shimbun and Tokyo Asahi Shimbun newspapers, he invited Soseki to become a full-time writer. He was a close supporter of Soseki.
Iwanami Shigeo
(1881–1946) Founder of publishing company Iwanami Shoten. After setting up Iwanami Shoten, he published many of Soseki’s works, starting with Kokoro.
Shibukawa Genji
(1872–1926) Essayist, critic, and journalist. His real name was Ryujiro. He was the editor of the local news section of the Tokyo Asahi Shimbun newspaper as well as the culture and literature sections. He was Soseki’s contact person at the newspaper and was involved in the establishment of its literary column.
Raphael von Koeber
(1848–1923) Educator. He was born in Russia but grew up speaking German. He was invited to Japan to teach philosophy at Imperial University. He was respected by and influenced many students, including Soseki, as a man of great character.
Koizumi Yakumo
(1850–1904) Born as Lafcadio Hearn. Literary scholar, essayist, and journalist. Born in Greece, he lived in many parts of the world before moving to Japan. He taught at the Fifth Higher Middle School in Kumamoto and in the English literature department of Tokyo Imperial University, where he was Soseki’s predecessor.
TOP