Both Kafū Nagai and Tōson Shimazaki had sought lives in France before moving there, but had contrasting perceptions of their actual experiences. France had always been the perfect country of art and ‘Utopia’ to Kafū. But when Tōson confronted France’s reality that differed from his ideal society, he realized the importance of country and family that he had never considered in his home country. Their opposite perspectives of France influenced their lives and literature after returning to Japan. Kafū diminished the Japanese poor modern system in the Edo period, which imitated the West and denied his own country and family as well, because they were totally different from his own ‘Utopia’. Yet Tōson was faithful as a parent, made compromises with the times, and cooperated with national policy. It can be seen that the contrast between the two is based on the “contradictory perception of France”, due to the circumstances in which each lived. Kafū could say directly whatever on his mind and lived a free life because he was the eldest son of a family with considerable power and wealth, so he did not need to flatter the government to gain what he wanted. And most of all, he had no family to support. Yet Tōson might have adapted to the turbulent period and lived a normal life for the security of his family, as a parent who wanted “to protect his children from all the storms of uncertain times”.