index
Part 2: Modern era
Chapter 9: Writers 2. Literary figures active during the Meiji era
FUKUCHI Ouchi, 1841–1906
Fukuchi was a journalist, playwright, and novelist. His real name was Genichiro. He first served the Tokugawa Shogunate as an interpreter and briefly joined the Ministry of Finance after the Meiji Restoration. He became chief editor of the Tokyo nichinichi Shimbun newspaper in 1874 and later became its president. He had considerable influence in press circles as a government-affiliated reporter. He resigned from the newspaper in 1888. In the following year, he founded Kabuki-za, with an eye toward reforming Japanese theater, and he wrote many kabuki plays. Bakufu suibo-ron (lit. On the Decline of the Shogunate) is one of his characteristic works.
133 Kokkei bakemono yashiki, 1894 [本別3-72]
The script of Kokkei bakemono yashiki (lit. The Comical Haunted House), which was first performed at Kabuki-za in Tokyo in July 1894. According to Volume 7 of the Kabuki nenpyo, the play's original title was not approved, thus leading to its renaming as Kokkei suzushiki gento (lit. Cool and Comical Phantasmagoria) at its performance. The source Kinsei gekidanshi 1 (kabuki-za hen) indicates that portions of the play's plot and dialogue were also cut. As the play satirized contemporary politicians, some form of interference is assumed to have arisen before the play's staging, although the precise circumstances remain unclear.
TSUBOUCHI Shoyo, 1859–1935
Shoyo was a literary scholar. His real name was Yuzo. After graduating from the University of Tokyo, he became a lecturer and later a professor at Tokyo Senmon Gakko (present-day Waseda University). He authored Japan's first theoretical treatise on modern literature titled Shosetsu shinzui and applied the ideas therein to the novel Tosei shosei katagi (lit. The Disposition of the Modern Student), consequently becoming a central figure in the literary world. He launched the shingeki movement (the Japanese theater modernization movement) with his disciple Shimamura Hogetsu and devoted himself to actor training. In 1928, he completed his Japanese translation of the complete works of Shakespeare.
134 Tsubouchi Shoyo shokan, [Late Meiji era] [SOEJIMA Yasoroku Papers: 30-1]
A manuscript and cover letter submitted by Shoyo to Soejima Yasoroku, who at that time was editing Kaikoku gojyunen shi (lit. Fifty Years of the New Japan). In the second volume of the 1908 publication of Kaikoku gojyunen shi, Shoyo is listed as the author of the section Kokugeki shoshi, and the contents of this manuscript appear there verbatim. Soejima is presumed to have additionally requested Shoyo to write explanatory text for the pages bearing the portrait photographs of the prominent actors Ichikawa Danjuro IX and Onoe Kikugoro V. Shoyo appears to have written the commentary while examining the proof prints of the aforementioned pages with photographs; he also handwrote captions on these pages and returned them together with his commentary. In addition to working as a specialist on the South Pacific and Southeast Asia regions, Soejima also had considerable interest in literature and the arts.
（同封の原稿）
（同封の原稿）
坪内逍遥書簡（送り状）
OZAKI Koyo, 1867-1903
Ozaki was a novelist. He established Ken'yusha (literary coterie) when he was in the University of Tokyo Prep School. He left the Imperial University in 1890, and devoted himself to writing. His representative works include Tajo takon (lit. Passions and regrets), Konjiki yasha (The golden demon) and others. He died at the age of 37. As an authority in literary circles in the Meiji era, he taught many pupils including Izumi Kyoka and Tokuda Shusei. He was said to be an accommodating person and well-liked by his friends and pupils.
IZUMI Kyoka, 1873-1939
Kyoka was a novelist. He decided to be a novelist after reading Ozaki Koyo's novels in 1890. The following year, he started living with Koyo as a janitor at the age of 19. It is said that when his father died and he was in financial difficulty, Koyo encouraged him to continue writing. When Koyo died, Kyoka wrote a eulogy, and published reminiscences about by Koyo several times. His representative works include Koya hijiri (The Koya priest), Uta andon (lit. A Song by Lantern-light).
135 Kono nushi, [1890] [WA22-2]
This is a part of Koyo's autograph manuscripts and Kyoka's shikigo (description of the manuscript or printed book which is placed before or after the text and explains about the copy, how it was obtained, dates concerned, etc.). Kono nushi was published from Shun'yodo in 1890 as the second Shinsaku juniban series. Koyo was still a student at the Imperial University, and the manuscript was written in 7 days before the examination. Years later, Koyo said, "The result of the examination was not very good" (Koyo "Sakka kushindan (No.7)", 1897).
Kyoka became Koyo's pupil a year after Kono nushi was written. Shikigo by Kyoka dated in June 1919, which is 16 years after Koyo's death, shows Kyoka's yearnings for his master Koyo.
KODA Rohan, 1867–1947
Rohan was a novelist and essayist. He made his literary debut in 1889 with Tsuyudandan (lit. Dew Drops). Alongside Ozaki Koyo, he defined the literary scene during the decade beginning in 1887, an era later known as the koro period (a neologism made by combining the first syllable of both authors' names, Koyo and Rohan). Both authors sought to develop a new style of writing suited to modern fiction and drew on Edo-period literature, a movement that led to a reevaluation of the works of Ihara Saikaku. In addition to fiction, Rohan was highly regarded for his essays, historical biographies, and historical works.
136 Saikaku okimiyage work by IHARA Saikaku, ca. 1902–1903 [W97-8]
A manuscript for Saikaku okimiyage (lit. Saikaku's Parting Gift) included in the second volume of Saikaku bunsui. Saikaku bunsui, co-edited by Ozaki Koyo and Koda Rohan, is a series of excerpts from the writings of Ihara Saikaku. The manuscript shown here was transcribed from the published edition, with editorial markings in red ink by Koyo and Rohan, including instructions such as converting kana into kanji. Seven of the fifteen chapters of Saikaku okimiyage were selected for inclusion, three edited by Koyo and four by Rohan. Here, the right- and left-hand pages of the excerpt were edited by Koyo and Rohan, respectively. The second volume of Saikaku bunsui was published in 1905, after Koyo's death.
西鶴置土産（左丁の右上に〇露の記載がある）
YAMADA Bimyo, 1868-1910
Bimyo was a novelist. He established the Ken'yusha (literary coterie) with Ozaki Koyo and others. He published his representative works including Musashino which was written in colloquial style. He is called a pioneer of novels unifying the spoken and written language along with Futabatei Shimei. Later, he opposed Koyo and left Ken'yusha. He became a hero in the literary world when he was around 20, but was not accepted by the public in his later years. He wrote many fine historical novels.
137 Shirabyoshi Gio [本別3-67]
This is an autograph manuscript by Bimyo. It was not published while Bimyo was alive, but was published with the name Gio in 1934. It is not clear when it was written, but is thought to be in his later years. Bimyo wrote several historical novels which featured the Taira Family including Taira no Kiyomori and Taira no Shigehira, and they are highly valued. This Shirabyoshi Gio is also about Kiyomori and Shirabyoshi (a prostitute disguised as a man, which was common in the Heian period) who was loved by Kiyomori, and their surroundings.
MASAOKA Shiki, 1867-1902
Masaoka was a haiku and tanka poet. He had a close communication with Natsume Soseki in the First Higher Middle School. He left the Imperial University and entered the Nihon Shinbun newspaper company. He made the reform movement of haiku poetry and tanka with "Dassai shooku haiwa" and "Utayomi ni atauru sho (lit. A Book Bestowed on Composers of Poems)" serialized in the newspaper Nippon. After suffering from disease for 7 years, he died at the age of 36.
138 Haikai jurokka, 1893 [WB12-23]
Representative poems of 16 haiku poets with Shiki as the center with portraits of poets drawn by Shimomura Izan. Shiki chose 4 poems, one for each season, for each haiku poet. Izan is a friend of Shiki who was from Matsuyama, like Shiki. He later achieved great success as an artist for haiga art (haiga art features sketches in light color or India ink with haiku appreciation).
The portrait of Shiki drawn by Izan is shown on the left page, and haiku which was made by 19-year-old Takahama Kyoshi who was a friend of Shiki and written by Shiki is shown on the right page.
139 Shiki tesei haiku karuta [WB41-55]
Haiku karuta (playing cards) Shiki created with 100 haiku poems written by 100 poets. According to Kawahigashi Hekigoto, Shiki's friend whose hometown was the same as Shiki's, it was made around 1894 to 1895. He says Shiki wrote haiku poems on the cards his mother and his younger sister Ritsu made from medicine envelopes (Shiki koji shinpitsu haiku karutacho[158-118-77]). To play, someone reads out a poem and participants compete to be first to find the matching card just like hyakunin isshu karuta. However, haiku does not have kami-no-ku (the first line) and shimo-no-ku (the second line) like waka does, and participants will have to take the card with the words exactly same as the ones the reader reads. This card game may not had been very interesting because Hekigoto says, "It seemed that this card game was rarely played".
子規手製俳句カルタ（月居）
子規手製俳句カルタ（正秀）
子規手製俳句カルタ（はせを）
NATSUME Soseki, 1867-1916
Soseki was a novelist. He started communicating with Masaoka Shiki around 1889, and their communication increased as they evaluated each other's writings. After graduating from the Imperial University, Soseki became an English teacher and went to London to study. After returning to Japan, he published novels while working as an instructor at the Imperial University of Tokyo. He entered the Asahi Shimbun newspaper company in 1907, and published masterpieces including Kojin (The wayfarer) and Kokoro in the newspaper.
140 Soseki shokan, [1892][本別3-85]
This is a postcard written by Soseki to Masaoka Shiki with the postmark of June 19, 1892. They were both studying at the Imperial University of Tokyo. Soseki mentions a philosophy test they just took, and he is suggesting to Shiki who took the low grade to retake the test. But Shiki did not retake the test and failed the annual test, dropping out of school. In his later years, Shiki looked back on those days in his essay, "Bokuju itteki (A drop of ink)" (1901) and says whenever he started studying for exams, haiku came up in his mind and he could not study for the exam.
漱石書簡（本文）
漱石書簡（宛名面）
141 Natsume Soseki shinseki haiku, September 25, 1896 [本別3-61]
A manuscript comprising some haiku that Soseki sent to Masaoka Shiki. Soseki had taken up his post at the Fifth High School in Kumamoto in April and married in June; this draft includes haiku that he composed approximately during a week-long trip that he took in early September to northern Kyushu with his wife. The name "Guda" written at the end is Soseki's signature. Shiki made markings on the manuscript, including circles in red ink. The haiku that Soseki composed about a loofah was cited by Shiki as an example of his "comic sensibility." After Shiki's death, Soseki dedicated this haiku to him in the preface to the second part of Wagahai wa neko dearu (I am a Cat).
SHIMAZAKI Toson, 1872-1943
Shimazaki was a poet and a novelist. He started publishing Bungakukai (lit. The Literary World) with Kitamura Tokoku and others. He started his career as a Romantic poet by publishing a collection of poems, Wakanashu (Collection of young herbs), but after going to the Komoro Gijuku, a private school in Komoro, Nagano Prefecture, he mostly wrote novels. Hakai (The broken commandment) became the first Japanese naturalist novel. His other representative novels include Haru (lit. Spring), Ie (The family), Shinsei (lit. New Life) and Yoakemae (Before the dawn).
142 Shimazaki Toson shokan, May 27, 1911 [Tatsukawa Unpei Papers: 1-7]
This is a letter written by Toson to Tatsukawa Unpei. Tatsukawa was a politician in the Meiji era with a basis in Nagano who pursued democratization. He is said to have been the model for Ichimura in Toson's Hakai (The broken commandment). In the letter, Toson mentions people at the Komoro Gijuku in Nagano whom they both were friends with and gives their updates. Komoro Gijuku was a private school which was opened by a pastor, Kimura Kumaji, who was Toson's old teacher. In the letter, Kimura is called "Master Kimura". Toson was invited to the school by Kimura and taught English and Japanese from 1899. He wrote his representative works including Hakai and Chikumagawa no sukecchi in the 6 years he stayed at the school.
島崎藤村書簡
TAKAHAMA Kyoshi, 1874–1959
A haiku poet. His real name was Kiyoshi. While a student at Iyo Middle School in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, he became acquainted with and studied under Masaoka Shiki through fellow haiku poet Kawahigashi Hekigoto, who was his classmate at Iyo Middle School in Matsuyama, Ehime. He later became head of the haiku magazine Hototogisu and nurtured many poets.
143 Takahama Kyoshi shokan, May 25, 1938 [NAGATA Hidejiro and Ryoichi Papers: 388-13]
A postcard addressed to bureaucrat-politician Nagata Hidejiro, who also served as mayor of the city of Tokyo. Nagata adopted the pseudonym Seiran as a haiku poet and was on close terms with Kyoshi. Kyoshi notes that he had already known of Nagata's visit to Matsuyama from a letter sent by one of his disciples in that area, Sakai Mokuzen (Sakai Wataro, director of Matsuyama Red Cross Hospital), reflecting the close-knit network behind the magazine Hototogisu. The postcard closes with a haiku accompanied by the line "I went to Niigata and Sado for a short while."
高浜虚子書簡（本文）
高浜虚子書簡（宛名面）