Literary man and army surgeon. Born in Shimane, the son of a doctor serving in the Tsuwano Clan. After graduating from the University of Tokyo Faculty of Medicine in 1881, he became an army surgeon. He was sent to Germany to study from 1884 to 1888. In 1907, he was promoted to surgeon general and was appointed head of the Medical Division of the Army Ministry, the highest post of army surgeons. He was transferred to the reserve in 1916, and was appointed the head of the Zushoryo and the Imperial Museum in 1917. While managing public affairs, he was active as a novelist, critic, and translator. His representative works include "Maihime" (The Dancing Girl) (1890), "Utakata no ki" (The Mirage) (1890), the translated "Sokkyo shijin" (1892-1901), "Wita sekusuarisu" (Vita Sexualis) (1909), "Gan" (Wild Goose) (1911), "Abe ichizoku" (The Abe Family) (1913), "Sansho-Dayu" (1915), "Takasebune" (The Takase Boat) (1916), and a biography, "Shibue Chusai" (1916).