Mori Ogai
(1862–1922)

Renowned literary figure, Mori Ogai greatly shaped Japanese society through his writing, although his talent in other areas was also impressive. For instance, Ogai first pursued a career in medicine, having earned his medical degree from Tokyo University in 1881. Only a few years later, Ogai enlisted in the Japanese army and was stationed in Germany to study Western medical advancements.

Ogai found Germany's culture appealing. It exposed him to great European writers such as Rainer Maria Rilke, Gustave Flaubert, Henrik Ibsen, and William Shakespeare. He began his dual career as a writer by translating Goethe's Faust, in addition to other European works. These translations later inspired generations of young Japanese writers to carry on in the creation of modern Japanese literature.

Over the years, Ogai gained fame as a multifaceted writer of fiction, drama, biographies, criticism, and poetry. He also maintained his success in medicine by being appointed to the eminent position of surgeon general in 1907. One of Ogai's greatest works was the highly acclaimed novel The Wild Goose (1911–1913), but his constant presence in the literary world is what has sustained his fame throughout the decades.

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