Programme

A pivotal figure in Japanese literature during the Meiji era. Navigating a rapidly westernising society, he was proficient in both Chinese and English, and became an English teacher at a prestigious university after studying in England. Seeking relief from life’s pressures, he wrote I Am a Cat, which gained popularity and led him to become a full-time writer for the Asahi Shimbun. Natsume's works, such as Botchan and Kokoro, blend Western literary techniques with deep humanistic themes, exploring the complexities of identity, loneliness, and struggle of intellectuals. A trailblazer in shaping modern Japanese literature of the 20th century, his influence endures and continues to resonate with readers today.