Toyotarō Ōta was born in Tokyo to parents emphasizing academic excellence and filial piety. After his father's death in childhood, his mother raised him, later credited by Toyotarō as providing "the strength to go through life." He achieved exceptional academic success, studying law at the University of Tokyo where he reportedly earned "greater honor than had any other student since the founding of the university." Mastering Japanese, French, and German led to his selection for government-sponsored studies in Berlin during the 1880s.

Before Berlin, Toyotarō saw himself as a model student passively fulfilling expectations. He later reflected on becoming a "passive, mechanical being" succeeding through obedience. In Germany, he distanced himself from fellow Japanese students, avoiding social events and earning their mockery. This isolation resulted in professional consequences when false reports ended his government stipend.

His character shifted upon encountering Elise, a German dancing girl, weeping outside a Klosterstrasse church. Learning she faced forced marriage to settle family debts, he settled her debts and became her benefactor. Their relationship evolved from tutor-pupil to romance, with Toyotarō moving into her home. He educated Elise, correcting her grammar and accent while introducing literature. During this time, he worked as a journalist, experiencing independence from his previous constrained existence.

Internal conflict arose as Elise became pregnant. His friend Aizawa Kenkichi, private secretary to influential Count Amakata, facilitated career opportunities requiring Toyotarō's return to Japan. Pressured by Aizawa's arguments about social status, familial duty, and nationalist expectations—including warnings against interracial marriage—Toyotarō agreed to serve as the Count's interpreter on a trip to Russia. Though initially intending to maintain the relationship, he ultimately succumbed to societal pressures. While bedridden with psychological distress after accepting a permanent position in Japan, Aizawa informed Elise of Toyotarō's abandonment, triggering her mental breakdown.

Afterwards, Toyotarō arranged financial support for Elise—institutionalized—and their child through Elise's mother before returning to Tokyo. His concluding reflection reveals enduring ambivalence: "Friends like Aizawa Kenkichi are rare indeed, and yet to this very day there remains a part of me that curses him." This duality underscores his lifelong struggle between societal obligation and personal desire, compounded by guilt over Elise's tragic fate.