Simultaneously, he started studying the English language in the hopes that it might be useful to his career someday.Ībout three years after, he crossed paths with and befriended Masaoka Shiki, or better known as Masaoka Noboru in the world of Japanese poetry. Unfortunately, the members of his family were not supportive of his budding interest in literature and persuaded him to pursue something he could easily make a living out of.Īs such, he enrolled at the Tokyo Imperial University in 1884 with the goal of becoming an architect in mind. This sense of self-doubt only grew more intense as his mother passed away in 1881.Īs he started attending the First Tokyo Middle School where he was introduced to Chinese literature, he began to feel a sense of hope for himself and his potential of becoming a writer. Not feeling completely accepted by his family, Natsume Soseki grew up to be quite insecure. Natsume Soseki then returned to his own house where his mother warmly welcomed him back, while his father saw him as a nuisance. Having no child of their own, the couple happily raised Natsume Soseki up until they got a divorce about eight years later.

In 1868, he was adopted by Shiobara Masanosuke and his wife. Prior to his birth, his parents already had five children to take care of, which made the addition of Natsume Soseki a source of insecurity and disgrace for the family. Born as Natsume Kinnosuke during the year 1867, Natsume Soseki came into the world as an unwanted child of his 53-year old father and 40-year old mother.

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