Sōseki's Image

In the eyes of ordinary people, Sōseki practiced self-discipline and adhered to propriety, avoiding indulgence in wine and lust, existing as a moral figure. His novels never touch on sexuality, but many of their themes involve the ethics that disallow love triangles, such as in "Sanshirō," "Afterwards," "The Gate," "Kokoro," "Light and Darkness," etc. The Meiji government strictly prohibited adultery, while "naturalist" writers went against the tide, exposing private lives and incest, carrying an anti-era and anti-secular meaning. Sōseki's works aim to explore human nature, where Western speculation and Eastern Confucian moral views coexist within him, constantly entangled and colliding.

Expert on Sōseki, Jun Etō, relying on his keen sensitivity and linguistic ability, was inspired by a series of English poems hidden in Sōseki's unpublished work "The Dawn of Creation." Combining this with Sōseki's lamentation about the death of his friend, he reached a shocking conclusion, confirming that his sister-in-law, Tōsei, was Sōseki's lover.

However, Etō was constrained by his own views and preconceived notions, failing to consider the works and person of Natsuko. After a ten-year separation, Sōseki reunited with Natsuko, and these poems should be seen as Sōseki's praise and fantasies about her. Moreover, the aforementioned works like "The Gate," "Kokoro," etc. (as well as "A Dream of One Night") are also related to Natsuko. Sōseki's lover was his friend's wife, Natsuko, and the love triangle between Sōseki, his friend, and his friend's wife is reflected in his works, where Sōseki infused his fantasies and thoughts, akin to referencing the white lilies in Rossetti's "The Blessed Damozel" and "A Dream of Ten Nights" (the first night), which corresponded reasonably to the well-educated female writer Natsuko. Due to Sōseki's classmates and disciples, including Hōji, sealing away the "romance of Sōseki, Natsuko, and Hōji," Sōseki's emotional world appears increasingly enigmatic.

Natsuko, a talented woman, is the eldest daughter of Masao Ōtsuka, the president of the Miyagi Court. She attended Fujimi Elementary School in Kojimachi, Ichikawa High School for Girls, and Meiji Women's School. After graduating, she stayed behind while Dr. Hōji Ōtsuka went abroad for further studies. She received a good artistic education from a young age, studying waka with Takebayashi and Hiroshi Sasaki, learning English from Ms. Fumiko Matsuno, and studying piano with Chikusei Shige. She initially learned painting from Tamaki Jitsuko and later from Masakuni Hashimoto. Subsequently, she studied literature with her husband, Hōji Ōtsuka (whose original surname was Koya, changed after marrying into the family). Natsuko was a versatile woman, excelling in music, waka, painting, and other arts. She published tanka in "Women's Magazine" and "Literary Sea," and in 1905, she published an anti-war poem in "The Sun," centered on a woman's longing for her husband at war. In the April 1906 issue of "Waseda Literature," she published "The Living Room," along with several other novels such as "Recruitment," "Late Autumn," "Light Music," and "Disordered Mandarins."

The female writer Shigure Hasegawa described Natsuko during her time studying under Takebayashi in the October 1915 issue of "Women's Illustrated Magazine"—"Miss Natsuko has delicate features, or rather, a cool demeanor. What struck me was not just her appearance, but also her crisp voice and elegant temperament. She is a calm and composed young woman, exuding an aura of literary grace, with a glow on her cheeks." Her literary evaluation was "at that time, she ranked just after Miss Iye, comparable to Lady Hanabusa, and even more renowned than Miss Usui."

Hōji Ōtsuka was an outstanding student at the University of Tokyo, graduating from the Philosophy Department in July 1891, gaining favor from critic Onishi Shuku and art pioneer Okakura Tenshin. During his graduate studies, he was guided by two renowned teachers. After returning from Europe in 1900, he taught the aesthetics of German pessimist philosopher Hartmann at the University of Tokyo, becoming the first generation of aesthetics professors at the university, pioneering Western aesthetics lectures in Japan, and founding the Ministry of Education's art exhibition. His major works include "Introduction to Aesthetics," "On the Beauty of Form," "The Aesthetic Movement," and "The Symbolist Movement." Dr. Hōji Ōtsuka made pioneering contributions to the teaching and research of Japanese aesthetics and art, not only in establishing the discipline but also in nurturing many outstanding talents in aesthetic studies, including Jirō Abe and Katsunori Onishi.

Sōseki portrayed his wife, Kikyō, as the "bad wife."

Sōseki and Hōji were university classmates and both taught at a specialized school in Tokyo. Their close relationship began in the summer of 1893 when Sōseki, after graduating from the English department, moved into the school dormitory where Hōji lived. At that time, Sōseki was twenty-six years old, and Hōji was twenty-eight. Natsuko was eight years younger than Sōseki and ten years younger than Hōji. Natsuko's parents entrusted the dormitory supervisor, Shimizu, to find a suitor for their literature-loving daughter from the Imperial University’s Chinese department. Shimizu favored Hōji and Sōseki, ultimately recommending Hōji, who met Natsuko during a summer outing in Ikitsu and was immediately attracted to her, while Sōseki, lacking money, stayed alone in the dormitory. Later, the thought of Hōji meeting Natsuko began to cause him emotional pain. Natsuko and Hōji became engaged, which impacted Sōseki's feelings, and his departure to Matsuyama was also related to this.

On July 25, 1894, at the age of twenty-seven, Sōseki visited Ikaho Onsen alone, not for writing, but to negotiate with his rival, Koya Hōji.

In September 1894, Sōseki moved out of the dormitory and temporarily stayed with his friend Sugano Torao, later moving to Hōzōin in October, where he fell into a state of extreme nervous exhaustion, experiencing a "victim mentality" or "paranoia." Rather than saying Sōseki had an endogenous mental illness, it would be more accurate to say it was caused by the external factors of heartbreak and the love triangle. At the end of that year, under Sugano's persuasion, he visited the Engaku-ji Temple in Kamakura to meet the monk Shōen, staying there until January 8 of the following year. During this time, he practiced zazen to dispel his worries. This marked the beginning of Sōseki's lifelong endeavor—overcoming "self-attachment" through Zen meditation. The inner world of young Sōseki during this period was similar to the second night of "A Dream of Ten Nights." After this Zen meditation, Sōseki's nervous exhaustion significantly lessened, and the mental turmoil caused by Natsuko temporarily stabilized.

Sōseki's stubborn character and hypersensitive behavior led the Ōtsuka family to ultimately choose Hōji as their son-in-law. On March 6, 1895, the wedding of Hōji and Natsuko was held at the Hoshigaoka Tea House. Many classmates attended to congratulate them, and Sōseki also attended the wedding with a self-disciplined attitude. Following this, tormented by heartbreak, he gave up his position as a lecturer at the Tokyo Higher Normal School and left to become an English teacher at Matsuyama Middle School. Sōseki's family found this decision unusual; his father was furious, and his brother and Saburō tried desperately to stop him. Sōseki's father refused to provide him with travel expenses, so Sōseki had to fund himself, leaving Tokyo on April 7 and arriving in Matsuyama at two o'clock in the afternoon on the 9th. The Ōtsuka family was also surprised to learn of Sōseki's unusual actions. Natsuko vividly described this scene in "Ivy," likely having heard about it from her husband, mother, or friends.

During his time at the Tokyo Higher Normal School, Sōseki gave half of his salary to his father. In Matsuyama, Sōseki had to pay for Zenkō's medical expenses, and his high salary of 80 yen was spent by the 5th of each month. On May 2, 1895, Sōseki wrote to Zenkō, "I think that if one does not choose between marriage, debauchery, and studying, most people cannot endure life in the countryside." His friend Sugano Torao also corresponded frequently with Sōseki, who complained in his letters about the unbearable life in Matsuyama. Sugano was hired as a teacher at Kumamoto Fifth High School, and coincidentally, the principal of Fifth High asked him to recommend an English teacher, and he immediately recommended Sōseki.