Futabatei Shimei (二葉亭 四迷, 4 April 1864 – 10 May 1909) was a Japanese writer, translator, and literary critic.

After quitting his studies at the Russian language department at the Tokyo Foreign Language School in protest over administrative restructuring, Futabatei published the literary criticism Shōsetsu Sōron at the encouragement of the critic and author Tsubouchi Shōyō in 1886.

Futabatei's first novel Ukigumo is often said to be unfinished,[1] but its realist style strongly influenced fellow authors in his day.

Futabatei died of tuberculosis on the Bay of Bengal while returning from Russia as a special correspondent for the Asahi Shimbun newspaper.

"drop dead") has been the repeated subject of speculation (including the allegation that these had been his father's words when he learned of his son's plans to study literature).