The Meiji period saw the important formative years of modern Japan unfold. Contemporary author Soseki Natsume wrote a book entitled Botchan based on his experiences in this fast-changing world. The Times of Botchan is a fictional account of Natsume and his circle of poets and writers, peppered with events and famous characters of the time. This fourth volume focuses on the relationship between army medical officer and poet Ogai Mori and the German dancer Elise Weigert - and the strains placed upon it by Japanese society.