Background of Mori Ogai

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.