Mori Ogai (1862-1922) belonged to the first batch of intellectuals of the Meiji era (1868-1912) who took active contact with the European world. Born in Tsuwano, in the heart of a samurai family, brought up in the cult of Confucianism and respect of feudal values​​, had a privileged upbringing that allowed him mastery of several languages, including Chinese, Dutch, German and French. He studied medicine in Japan and Germany and also followed a military career. It was great translator and disseminator of European literature and literary polemics contended burning. In 1890 he published his first novel, The dancer (Maihime), near the romantic aesthetic. He also founded two journals, New Hygiene and New Medicine, and literary ties, which later changed its name to Awakening. He founded his own literary journal tambiñen, Pleiades. In 1909 Vita sexualis-published short novel about sexual initiation-that was branded pornographic by official censorship, which proceeded to the kidnapping of the complete edition. In 1910 Ogai is deeply shocked by the arrest and execution of Shusui Kōtoku socialist leader, accused of plotting to assassinate the Emperor. Ogai's writings dated in those years will be the answer to those acts of subjugation. In 1910 Youth (Seinen), Game (Asobi) Fasces (Fusuashisu), The tower of silence (no Chinmoku To), Dining (Shokudo) and Illusions (Moso) appear on. It is a solitary exercise premonitory forefront, where he combines idealism and scientism, to give a "concrete idealism." Later publishes historical and biographical accounts. In 1917 he was appointed curator of the Imperial Museum and director of the National Library. Their literature is particularly popular in the West.