In corporate society of Japan, adults are said, “You must not look at only dreams. Face reality." It is blamed like being bad to pursue a dream. Those who have had "common sense and knowledge" richly are respected. Success in life is decided by how the office worker increases them.
The literary world is the opposite of it. If any persons do not continue having a dream, the talent does not bloom. Even if it blooms, it will fade immediately. A dream is a driving force of an imagination. The dream is connected to susceptibility and imagination. Common sense and knowledge are absolutely required for the occupation of the teacher of literature and a language, a critic, an editor, etc. However, it is not necessarily important for a writer.

On the theme of "continuing having a dream", I would like to round off this manuscripts.
“I do not have what kind of concern in literary argument. I only merely think that that knowledge is an enemy for a writer. It would appear sometimes to be the case. The more it grows older and knowledge increases, the more being impressed by things decreases. Imagination is lost that much.”
[ Koshu Highway, Choshuji and so on" ], By Ryotaro Shiba, Asahibunko, 219 pages.

Mr. Ryotaro Shiba was born to Osaka-city in August, 1923. He was a very sensitive boy. Since he was taught by the teacher who do not fit together well, he was poor at mathematics and English.
He entered the Osaka language school (present Osaka University of Foreign Studies) Mongolian subject of study after the graduation from an old-system junior high school in 1941. Speaking of the Mongolian subject of study at the time, it is the time when it was extremely unpopular. Why did Ryotaro Shiba choose this subject of study?
I finished reading many books of Shiba, in order to know the reason. He told in a modest manner that since other schools were not able to be passed, he entered there. In fact, he was yearning after the horse-riding people who run about Mongolian's prairie.
“I would like to see horse-riding people's footprint later on, and stand on the prairie some day.” He had such a dream.
In many works, such as a "Mongolian account of the trip", he had actually realized the dream.
Shiba did departure of students for the war front, and was enrolled in the tank corps in December, 1943. The first battlefield for him to stand was along the border with the Soviet Union in old Manchuria (the present China northeast part). He was standing on the prairie where horse-riding people ran about once, commanding a tank corps. And he was unlikely to come back alive. With what kind of feelings was he looking at the prairie?
He accepted the end of the war in 1945. And he was demobilized. At this time, he was twenty-two years old. This war experience became the his starting point as a writer. He is expressing his work at a word, saying "These are letters to 22-year-old me." His enormous works are grand sum of that letters.

Shiba passed away on February 12, 1996. His age at death was 72 years old. The "Ryotaro Shiba Memorial Hall" was built in commemoration of his achievements. Since his collection of books and favorite elegance were exhibited, I recommend you to visit there by all means.

Address:
Ryotaro Shiba Memorial Hall
3-11-18, Shimo-kosaka, Higashi-Osaka-city, Osaka Japan
Postcode 577 -0803
Phone: +81 6 6726- 860
http://www.shibazaidan.or.jp/