1887, the first novel reflecting his literary views, Floating Clouds, was published. Written in the Meiji 1920s. An honest young man was hired as a junior official of the government, and all he wanted was to marry his cousin Ashe, who fell in love with him, and to enjoy family happiness with his old mother who lived a lonely life in her hometown. However, he is not worldly and will not go against his conscience to meet the needs of his boss. The novel exposes the darkness and apathy of the officialdom in the Meiji era, and also touches on the so-called "civilization" phenomenon that Meiji society simply imitates the West.