Vita Sexualis

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Mori Ôgai

A Sexual Awakening (Of Sorts)

Have you ever felt like everyone around you knows what they’re doing and you’re just missing the point? Have you ever felt cold and indifferent when you should have been filled with a fierce passion? Have you ever been seduced by your best friend’s mother only to panic and run away in terror? Me ... read more

Written in 1909 as a semi-fictional autobiography, Vita Sexualis follows the life and education of Shizuka Kanai, an enigmatic young man who is simultaneously romantically repressed and sexually uninterested. Despite its title, Mori Ôgai’s Vita Sexualis (The Sexual Life) is less about the explicit aspect of sex itself and more about the sexual awakening of protagonist Shizuka Kanai through an introspective lens. That is not to say that it does not live up to its name in its own way, however. While it may read as rather tame for a more progressive modern audience, it takes little imagination to see why after its release it was deemed exceedingly risqué by a Meiji-era Japanese audience. In fact, it caused such a stir that Ôgai received an official reprimand from the Japanese minister of war, with the edition of Subaru magazine it featured in was banned the following month. More importantly, Vita Sexualis Ôgai showed other like-minded authors that the status quo could in fact be challenged, paving the way for a new kind of provocative literature.

Ôgai’s style is refreshing throughout, with chapters taking the form of short, episodic scenes that correspond to the protagonist's age. He has a gift for saying more with less, and the real value in the text comes from how he prompts one to ‘read between the lines'. The novel follows Kanai over the course of twenty-one years, from his early encounter with an erotic woodblock carving as a young boy to a night spent with a renowned courtesan as an adult. As the novel progresses Kanai becomes a more emotionally complex character he becomes all the more relatable. Not in a specific sense, but as a reader one finds it hard to fault him in a logical sense, even if one’s emotions scream otherwise. The only thing that remains constant seems to be Kanai’s complete lack of erotic desire, exemplified by this almost clinical view of the world, standing in sharp contrast to the fantasies of his peers. Ôgai challenges the somewhat prudish and deeply private Meiji era norms of romantic and erotic love in his exploration of homosexuality, prostitution, and eroticism. Despite flitting between locations (pleasure quarters, a boarding house, and various restaurants) Ôgai focuses less on setting or plot and more on character development through the tension between Eastern and Western ideals in a modernizing Japan.

I think there is something for everyone when it comes to Vita Sexualis. On one level, it is a nostalgic coming of age novel, on another, an important piece of commentary on a historically repressed Japanese society, and on another a lambasting of traditional masculine ideals. I would heartily recommend it to cynics and romantics alike, or to those who are simply looking for something different.

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Have you ever felt like everyone around you knows what they’re doing and you’re just missing the point? Have you ever felt cold and indifferent when you should have been filled with a fierce passion? Have you ever been seduced by your best friend’s mother only to panic and run away in terror? Me neither, although it is amusing to entertain the thought that Mori Ôgai may have.    
 
Written in 1909 as a semi-fictional autobiography, Vita Sexualis follows the life and education of Shizuka Kanai, an enigmatic young man who is simultaneously romantically repressed and sexually uninterested. Despite its title, Mori Ôgai’s Vita Sexualis (The Sexual Life) is less about the explicit aspect of sex itself and more about the sexual awakening of protagonist Shizuka Kanai through an introspective lens. That is not to say that it does not live up to its name in its own way, however. While it may read as rather tame for a more progressive modern audience, it takes little imagination to see why after its release it was deemed exceedingly risqué by a Meiji-era Japanese audience. In fact, it caused such a stir that Ôgai received an official reprimand from the Japanese minister of war, with the edition of Subaru magazine it featured in was banned the following month. More importantly, Vita Sexualis Ôgai showed other like-minded authors that the status quo could in fact be challenged, paving the way for a new kind of provocative literature. 
 
Ôgai’s style is refreshing throughout, with chapters taking the form of short, episodic scenes that correspond to the protagonist's age. He has a gift for saying more with less, and the real value in the text comes from how he prompts one to ‘read between the lines'. The novel follows Kanai over the course of twenty-one years, from his early encounter with an erotic woodblock carving as a young boy to a night spent with a renowned courtesan as an adult. As the novel progresses Kanai becomes a more emotionally complex character he becomes all the more relatable. Not in a specific sense, but as a reader one finds it hard to fault him in a logical sense, even if one’s emotions scream otherwise. The only thing that remains constant seems to be Kanai’s complete lack of erotic desire, exemplified by this almost clinical view of the world, standing in sharp contrast to the fantasies of his peers. Ôgai challenges the somewhat prudish and deeply private Meiji era norms of romantic and erotic love in his exploration of homosexuality, prostitution, and eroticism. Despite flitting between locations (pleasure quarters, a boarding house, and various restaurants) Ôgai focuses less on setting or plot and more on character development through the tension between Eastern and Western ideals in a modernizing Japan. 
 
I think there is something for everyone when it comes to Vita Sexualis. On one level, it is a nostalgic coming of age novel, on another, an important piece of commentary on a historically repressed Japanese society, and on another a lambasting of traditional masculine ideals. I would heartily recommend it to cynics and romantics alike, or to those who are simply looking for something different.
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Mori Ogai’s Vita Sexualis—Is it lifeless?

Vita Sexualis, latin for sexual life, is anything but a steamy romance. As an anti-naturalist I-novel, Ogai’s book is semi-autobiographical, and as such his life becomes the template for the main character Shizuka Kanai, a philosopher. Intrigued by how recent literary trends in Japan and the latest European psychological theories seem centered around ... read more

Vita Sexualis, latin for sexual life, is anything but a steamy romance. As an anti-naturalist I-novel, Ogai’s book is semi-autobiographical, and as such his life becomes the template for the main character Shizuka Kanai, a philosopher. Intrigued by how recent literary trends in Japan and the latest European psychological theories seem centered around sexual desire, Kanai resolves to write an autobiography centered around his own sexual experiences to understand his lack of sexual desire. Taking us through his life starting from when he was six to when he was twenty-one, he provides frank, prudish, sometimes hilarious observations about the role pornography, prostitution, and homosexuality play in not only his own life, but the lives of his friends, Hanyu, Koga, Eiichi, and Kojima in Meiji-era Japan. Kanai’s willingness to question what others are not willing to, and his studious bookishness make him my favorite character, but others could easily see him as pedantic and lacking charisma.

Although Mr. Kanai was my favorite character, as a female living in the West in the 21^st century, it was hard to relate to him on several levels. Therefore, when I could relate to him, it was even more special. For example, in the coming of age process that Shizu goes through, he goes from not understanding pornography to, by the age of thirteen, understanding that rape is a fact of life, and a risk he must undertake to attend school. The way in which Shizu stumbles upon these hard realizations, not meaning to, and then attempts to maintain his own innocence for so long is something I think many can relate to, and part of what makes the book enjoyable. Others might complain that this makes the story not match its title. While some might claim the plot is quite lifeless and disappointing due to the lack of scandal in Shizu/Ogai’s life, I would argue they need to look deeper.

In fact, my favorite parts of the book, are when Mr. Kanai becomes Mr. Ogai, the author, or rather, when the thin veil separating character and author is pierced by Kanai’s criticisms of a previous work of Ogai’s, for example. This aspect of the novel adds a layer of humor to the story and brings the reader closer to the author, as if they shared some secret. I often laughed out loud reading this novel, especially when Ogai blatantly used Kanai to push forward his own opinions and critiques of the literary scene at the time (or comment on more ‘low-brow’ literature). It was the meta-quality of the novel, the sense that there is more to the story than meets the eye, that sold me on it.

Despite my personal affection for this novel, I would not recommend this book to just anyone. The fact that this novel is set in Meiji-era Japan alone is likely to be daunting for many, and those looking for a casual, or light-hearted read should look elsewhere. Although there are several humorous moments in the novel, the ending is not straightforward, the constant references to European philosophers and the Japanese literary scene can be off-putting, and Mr. Kanai is pretty passive for a main character. However, those that want to catch a glimpse of daily life in a modernizing Japan and are ready to read between the lines of the text should go ahead. The rich depictions of school life, the impact of the pleasure quarters in Tokyo on young boys, and the changing ideas and philosophies surrounding love and marriage of the time are as informative as they are enjoyable to read. If I had to, I would rate this book four out of five stars.

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&nbsp;
            Vita Sexualis, latin for sexual life, is anything but a steamy romance. As an anti-naturalist I-novel, Ogai’s book is semi-autobiographical, and as such his life becomes the template for the main character Shizuka Kanai, a philosopher. Intrigued by how recent literary trends in Japan and the latest European psychological theories seem centered around sexual desire, Kanai resolves to write an autobiography centered around his own sexual experiences to understand his lack of sexual desire. Taking us through his life starting from when he was six to when he was twenty-one, he provides frank, prudish, sometimes hilarious observations about the role pornography, prostitution, and homosexuality play in not only his own life, but the lives of his friends, Hanyu, Koga, Eiichi, and Kojima in Meiji-era Japan. Kanai’s willingness to question what others are not willing to, and his studious bookishness make him my favorite character, but others could easily see him as pedantic and lacking charisma.
            Although Mr. Kanai was my favorite character, as a female living in the West in the 21st century, it was hard to relate to him on several levels. Therefore, when I could relate to him, it was even more special. For example, in the coming of age process that Shizu goes through, he goes from not understanding pornography to, by the age of thirteen, understanding that rape is a fact of life, and a risk he must undertake to attend school. The way in which Shizu stumbles upon these hard realizations, not meaning to, and then attempts to maintain his own innocence for so long is something I think many can relate to, and part of what makes the book enjoyable. Others might complain that this makes the story not match its title. While some might claim the plot is quite lifeless and disappointing due to the lack of scandal in Shizu/Ogai’s life, I would argue they need to look deeper.
In fact, my favorite parts of the book, are when Mr. Kanai becomes Mr. Ogai, the author, or rather, when the thin veil separating character and author is pierced by Kanai’s criticisms of a previous work of Ogai’s, for example. This aspect of the novel adds a layer of humor to the story and brings the reader closer to the author, as if they shared some secret. I often laughed out loud reading this novel, especially when Ogai blatantly used Kanai to push forward his own opinions and critiques of the literary scene at the time (or comment on more ‘low-brow’ literature). It was the meta-quality of the novel, the sense that there is more to the story than meets the eye, that sold me on it.
            Despite my personal affection for this novel, I would not recommend this book to just anyone. The fact that this novel is set in Meiji-era Japan alone is likely to be daunting for many, and those looking for a casual, or light-hearted read should look elsewhere. Although there are several humorous moments in the novel, the ending is not straightforward, the constant references to European philosophers and the Japanese literary scene can be off-putting, and Mr. Kanai is pretty passive for a main character. However, those that want to catch a glimpse of daily life in a modernizing Japan and are ready to read between the lines of the text should go ahead. The rich depictions of school life, the impact of the pleasure quarters in Tokyo on young boys, and the changing ideas and philosophies surrounding love and marriage of the time are as informative as they are enjoyable to read. If I had to, I would rate this book four out of five stars.

You don’t watch Porn? Well, you must have Frigidas– How to read Vita Sexualis in the 21st Century

“Mr. Ogai has become deranged of late” was the snarky criticism left behind by one anonymous reviewer in response to Vita Sexualis in the August 1909 issue of Teikoku magazine. Vita Sexualis became one of several risqué literary works to experience the prudish wrath of the Meiji era’s increased censorship–but Ōgai took the banning of ... read more

“Mr. Ogai has become deranged of late” was the snarky criticism left behind by one anonymous reviewer in response to Vita Sexualis in the August 1909 issue of Teikoku magazine. Vita Sexualis became one of several risqué literary works to experience the prudish wrath of the Meiji era’s increased censorship–but Ōgai took the banning of his book well. “I have been rather prepared for this,” Ōgai claimed in a letter to his friend. “Ten years ago nude pictures were also treated in the same...Ten years from now the authorities will wake up.” It was peculiar that Ōgai should claim that in just a decade Japanese society would return to the attitude of sexual freedom it had abandoned in the Edo Period. Over a hundred years later the book remains a relevant work that anyone who has ever had a passing thought about sex should read. This is because even though Vita Sexualis is sexual, it is not a book about sex. It is a book about the philosophy of it[MO1] .

Vita Sexualis follows the young life and low-libido of Kanai[MO2] Shizuka–a protagonist whose life bears a suspicious resemblance to Mori Ogai’s. Though we know little about Ōgai’s personal experiences in his sexuality, his and Kanai’s mutual derision for the naturalist literary movement is enough to claim that Vita Sexualis was partially autobiographical–if not Ōgai’s own sort-of secret diary. Naturalism spread through the minds of Japanese writers like a literary mold. It asserted that every aspect of daily life and human behavior is controlled by the itch of sexual desire, unrelentingly demanding to be scratched.

But how can one possibly relate to the sex life of one young man in early 20th century Japan? Naturalism–the target of Ōgai’s criticism–portrays human sexuality in an objectifying limelight that can invalidate and ostracize personal experiences with sexuality. This is especially true for the experiences of women or of people who identify as asexual, and it is certainly true for Kanai. Apart from the accompanying Vivaldi soundtrack, the concept of human “sex” thrown forth by naturalism is not so different from a mating ritual between placental mammals you might watch on Animal Planet[MO3] . It is even less different from the media’s 21st century portrayal of sex in pornography. Porn is often unrealistic and disturbingly focused on the heterosexual man’s fantasy of what sex should be like. This does the trick for a certain portion of the population. However, it is also devoid of love or intimacy, which is actually what certain people, including many women and Kanai, are aroused by. Considering that both the sexual delusions of the naturalist movement and those of mainstream pornography fall under the category of made by men, for men, it is not shocking that they are, to many, exceedingly unrelatable. As someone who fantasizes about the elusive romance he’s read in Chinese love tales, I reckon Kanai would have been disinterested in the services of Pornhub. And in the way Kanai worried he was an abnormal sufferer of Frigidas in a society of erotomaniacs, members of current American youth who do not watch porn are either Liars or Prudes. Right?

At under a hundred pages, Vita Sexualis is a brief rendezvous into what it is to not be constantly impassioned with lust. If you feel like this experience is already descriptive of you and that reading about it would be redundant, then you are onto something–the ironic commentary of Mori Ogai in Vita Sexualis.

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“Mr. Ogai has become deranged of late” was the snarky criticism left behind by one anonymous reviewer in response to Vita Sexualis in the August 1909 issue of Teikoku magazine. Vita Sexualis became one of several risqué literary works to experience the prudish wrath of the Meiji era’s increased censorship–but Ōgai took the banning of his book well. “I have been rather prepared for this,” Ōgai claimed in a letter to his friend. “Ten years ago nude pictures were also treated in the same...Ten years from now the authorities will wake up.” It was peculiar that Ōgai should claim that in just a decade Japanese society would return to the attitude of sexual freedom it had abandoned in the Edo Period. Over a hundred years later the book remains a relevant work that anyone who has ever had a passing thought about sex should read. This is because even though Vita Sexualis is sexual, it is not a book about sex. It is a book about the philosophy of <a>it</a><a id="_anchor_1" class="msocomanchor" href="#_msocom_1" name="_msoanchor_1">[MO1]</a> .
Vita Sexualis follows the young life and low-libido of <a>Kanai</a><a id="_anchor_2" class="msocomanchor" href="#_msocom_2" name="_msoanchor_2">[MO2]</a>  Shizuka–a protagonist whose life bears a suspicious resemblance to Mori Ogai’s. Though we know little about Ōgai’s personal experiences in his sexuality, his and Kanai’s mutual derision for the naturalist literary movement is enough to claim that Vita Sexualis was partially autobiographical–if not Ōgai’s own sort-of secret diary. Naturalism spread through the minds of Japanese writers like a literary mold. It asserted that every aspect of daily life and human behavior is controlled by the itch of sexual desire, unrelentingly demanding to be scratched.
But how can one possibly relate to the sex life of  one young man in early 20th century Japan? Naturalism–the target of Ōgai’s criticism–portrays human sexuality in an objectifying limelight that can invalidate and ostracize personal experiences with sexuality. This is especially true for the experiences of women or of people who identify as asexual, and it is certainly true for Kanai. Apart from the accompanying Vivaldi soundtrack, the concept of human “sex” thrown forth by naturalism is not so different from a mating ritual between placental mammals you might watch on Animal <a>Planet</a><a id="_anchor_3" class="msocomanchor" href="#_msocom_3" name="_msoanchor_3">[MO3]</a> . It is even less different from the media’s 21st century portrayal of sex in pornography. Porn is often unrealistic and disturbingly focused on the heterosexual man’s fantasy of what sex should be like. This does the trick for a certain portion of the population. However, it is also devoid of love or intimacy, which is actually what certain people, including many women and Kanai, are aroused by. Considering that both the sexual delusions of the naturalist movement and those of mainstream pornography fall under the category of made by men, for men, it is not shocking that they are, to many, exceedingly unrelatable.  As someone who fantasizes about the elusive romance he’s read in Chinese love tales, I reckon Kanai would have been disinterested in the services of Pornhub. And in the way Kanai worried he was an abnormal sufferer of Frigidas in a society of erotomaniacs, members of current American youth who do not watch porn are either Liars or Prudes. Right?
            At under a hundred pages, Vita Sexualis is a brief rendezvous into what it is to not be constantly impassioned with lust. If you feel like this experience is already descriptive of you and that reading about it would be redundant, then you are onto something–the ironic commentary of Mori Ogai in Vita Sexualis.

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How did Japanese readers react to this work that explores sexuality? Especially because the narrator himself questions sexual relationships beyond the means of reproduction.

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Homosexuality is briefly mentioned throughout the first half of Vita Sexualis. How did views on homosexuality evolve during the Meiji period? Was it mentioned as explicitly in other literature during this time? What were the views prior to western influence?

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What is the role of sexuality within the dormitory? What is the significance of "hard" men and "softies"? How does sexual repression/exhibition and sexual orientation deepen the understanding of sexuality in Japan at this time?

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What effect does the fact that this is a frame story have on how we read and interpret it? What would change if it simply began with the memoir?

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#1 In what ways does Kanai‘s education in philosophy influence his thoughts and behaviors in Vita Sexualis? If we are to examine this influence from the perspectives of different branches of philosophy (i.e., metaphysics, ethics, epistemology), how each of them manifests itself in Kanai‘s thoughts and conducts?

#2 There are many places in the story where Ogai directly employs philosophical discourse and arguments, e.g., everything is a manifestation of sexual desire, quotes from Schopenhauer, cynicism, all arts are self-defense, etc. Are these philosophical narratives appropriate, serving particular functions, or do they simply appear too "telling rather than showing"?

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Ogai incorporates numerous literary works from Rousseau’s The Confession, philosophical and psychological texts, pornographic fictions, to traditional Chinese literature. What roles do literature and (autobiographical) writing play a role in exploring the topic of sex and enlightenment of sexuality?

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Vita Sexualis Question: During the cooking of the blind soup this passage between Henmi and Miyaura describing a greeting homosexual males use to establish sexual interest caught my eye.

"When I negotiate for it with a woman, I grab her hand, but how about when you negotiate with a 'boy'?" "It's the same. I hold his hand. Like so!" He grabbed Miyaura's hand and with his finger pressed down on the masher's palm. Henmi explained that when a boy agrees, he grabs hold of the finger, and when he doesn't agree, he doesn't grab it."

Since sexuality was so repressed at the time, I assume secret means of communication through allusion would have been necessary to avoid detection. Are norms like these maintained/do they evolve or does sexuality in premodern Japan become less of a taboo subject, removing the need for secrecy?

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<div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Segoe UI', system-ui, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Vita Sexualis Question: During the cooking of the blind soup this passage between Henmi and Miyaura describing a greeting homosexual males use to establish sexual interest caught my eye.</div>
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<div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Segoe UI', system-ui, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">"When I negotiate for it with a woman, I grab her hand, but how about when you negotiate with a 'boy'?" "It's the same. I hold his hand. Like so!" He grabbed Miyaura's hand and with his finger pressed down on the masher's palm. Henmi explained that when a boy agrees, he grabs hold of the finger, and when he doesn't agree, he doesn't grab it."</div>
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<div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Segoe UI', system-ui, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Since sexuality was so repressed at the time, I assume secret means of communication through allusion would have been necessary to avoid detection. Are norms like these maintained/do they evolve or does sexuality in premodern Japan become less of a taboo subject, removing the need for secrecy?</div>

This book really gave an interesting historical view of an author looking at the concept of sexual desire in his main character in the late 19th century. I also found Mori Ogai to be really admirable and forward-thinking that he published Vita Sexualis at a time when the Meiji government was suppressing any literature they believed to contain pornographic materials. I guess the main question I have is this: why was this book suppressed? Maybe it’s just the world we live in today, but from what we’ve read so far, I don’t really see sex in this book. What reaction did he get from those who purchased and read his book? Another question. Women in this book, as usual, are given very little voice and agency. While the way he looks at the subject of sex in his era is “non-traditional,” his treatment of gender is predictable. What are some elements of modernity and tradition do you see in the book?

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<div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Segoe UI', system-ui, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">          This book really gave an interesting historical view of an author looking at the concept of sexual desire in his main character in the late 19th century. I also found Mori Ogai to be really admirable and forward-thinking that he published Vita Sexualis at a time when the Meiji government was suppressing any literature they believed to contain pornographic materials.
I guess the main question I have is this: why was this book suppressed? Maybe it’s just the world we live in today, but from what we’ve read so far, I don’t really see sex in this book. What reaction did he get from those who purchased and read his book?
Another question. Women in this book, as usual, are given very little voice and agency. While the way he looks at the subject of sex in his era is “non-traditional,” his treatment of gender is predictable. What are some elements of modernity and tradition do you see in the book?</div>

In what ways does Vita Sexualis portray sexuality as something culturally imbued–and in what ways does Ogai present sexuality through a borrowed naturalist perspective?

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1: In Kanai's narration, he does not hide his dislike and fear of sexual desire. How should we make of Kanai's usage of military language when referring to his "fight against sexual desire"?

2: Although we are told that Kanai is writing this thing both because he had an impulse to write and that he is interested in understanding sexual desire. However, in the actual narrative, he points out that he is “forc[ing] myself to trace back those memories”. What is he actually trying to achieve, and what is his attitude toward his own sexual desire and its upbringing?

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Ogai’s protagonist Kanei examines sexuality from a philosophical and almost clinical lens throughout the novel. What kind of effect is produced by his systematic and analytical attempt to “trace his memories” regarding sexual desire?

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The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Mori Ōgai | Japanese Author.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 2020, www.britannica.com/biography/Mori-Ogai.

While this biography may be short, it offers a glimpse into some of the influences on Ôgai's work from early childhood to adolescence, particularly heartbreak and his studies in Germany.

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“日本ペンクラブ電子文藝館.” Bungeikan, 4 Feb. 2017, bungeikan.jp/international/detail/38.

This source breaks down the characteristics of German literature and explains how it had a strong influence in Japanese literature, with many interesting techniques appearing in Vita Sexualis.

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Schneider, Jessica. “Book Review: Vita Sexualis (Tuttle Classics) by Ogai Mori.” Seattle Pi, 11 Aug. 2011, www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/blogcritics/article/Book-Review-Vita-Sexualis-Tuttle-Classics-by-1878507.php.

I think this review sums up quite nicely the value in reading Vita Sexualis, especially in how Ôgai is humorous even when he may not be trying to be. In addition to this, it exemplifies the protagonist's disinterest in all things sexual.

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