Mori Ogai was born in February of 1962. He was the
highest ranking doctor in Japan for ten years and was appointed to the post of
surgeon general in 1907. Ogai’s father was also a doctor and he earned his
medical degree from Tokyo University. He was an army surgeon serving in both
the Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War. After serving his time in the
Japanese army, he was sent to Germany in 1884 to continue his studies in medicine.
This is where he developed his interest in German literature and the German way
of life. As a result, some of his earliest works were translations of German
written works. After some of his early translation works, he published
autobiographical works of fiction based on his experiences
in Germany. During the final stage of his writing career, he turned his focus
onto the main topic of history. He incorporated this information into stories,
novels, and biographies. In addition to these written works, Ogai also wrote
some western themed plays and he supported the traditional Kabuki Theater.
Outside of writing, Ogai played an important role in being a critic. Ogai died
in 1922 from atrophy of the kidneys while still at work on several historical
studies.
