Author Archives: takaihana
Mori Ogai: The Demands of the Day, Part 4
After Maihime, Ogai published two more novels in short succession; Utakata no ki (A Sad Tale), mentioned in part 2, and Fumizukai (The Courier) in January 1891. Fumizukai is particularly interesting for a detailed psychological portrait of Ida, a German … Continue reading
Mori Ogai: The Demands of the Day, Part Three
Ogai found love in Berlin, but his original purpose for going to the great capital was to meet with Kitasato Shibasaburo, a physician studying in Berlin under Robert Koch, the famed microbiologist. Kitasato cut an impressive figure, tall, rotund and … Continue reading
Mori Ogai: The Demands of the Day, Part 2
At the age of 19, Mori Ogai was a qualified doctor, fluent in four languages, with the intelligence and energy to make the world seem very much like his oyster. However, his initial choice of future career was denied him … Continue reading
Mori Ogai: The Demands of the Day, Part One
Between 1850 and 1900, Japan underwent a change as drastic as any nation has undergone in half a century anywhere on earth. The insular nation of 1850 was rocked first by its forced opening to the west at the hands … Continue reading
Ten trips off the beaten track in Japan
If you`re reading this, you probably have some interest in Japan. Perhaps you live there, perhaps you`ve been there on holiday. If you`re interested in exploring the country a little more, I hope this list will give you some inspiration … Continue reading
Jokichi Takamine: Samurai Chemist
A short biography of Jokichi Takamine, a Japanese chemist who deserves to be known by everybody. Continue reading
Another year, another post, another Prime Minister
I haven`t posted here for a long time, but recently Japanese politics has become too interesting not to comment on; interesting mostly because of the staggering incompetence involved on all sides, but interesting nonetheless. The current prime minister, Naoto Kan … Continue reading
The Wrath of Kan: Japan`s new Prime Minister
I intended to post something here about the resignation of Prime Minister Hatoyama and its implications. However, this has already been done far better than I could manage by Tobias Harris at http://www.observingjapan.com/ and Michael Cucek at http://shisaku.blogspot.com/ I will … Continue reading
Reader, I texted him: A look at keitai shosetsu (mobile phone novels)
A look at the phenomenon of reading novels on a mobile phone, and the response to them. Continue reading
Takaihana 