As his youngest brother Junzaburo MORI observed, 'he was becoming calm and not afraid of anything' during his stay in Kokura, and at that time started to look upon people living at the bottom of society with affectionate eyes.
小倉時代に「圭角」がとれ、「胆が練れて来」たと末弟の森潤三郎が記述したように、そのころ鴎外は、社会の周縁ないし底辺に生きる人々への親和、慈しみの眼差しを獲得していた。