Ukiyozōshi

is the first major genre of popular Japanese fiction, written between the 1680s and the 1770s in Kyoto and Osaka. "Ukiyozōshi" literature developed from the "kanazōshi" genre and was in fact initially classified as "kanazōshi". The term "ukiyozōshi" first appeared in about 1710 in reference to amorous or erotic works, but the term later came to refer to literature that encompassed a variety of subjects and aspects of life during the Edo period.

History

Ihara Saikaku's "Life of a Sensuous Man" is considered the first work in this genre. This work, as well as other amorous literature, drew subject matter from the courtesan critiques and guides to the pleasure quarters that became popular in the 1640s and 1650s. Although Saikaku's works were not regarded as high literature at the time, they became popular and were key to the development and spread of "ukiyozōshi".

After Saikaku's death, some notable writers that followed include Nishizawa Ippu, Miyako no Nishiki, and Hojo Dansui, Saikaku's only direct pupil in novel writing. The last significant "ukiyozōshi" writer was Ejima Kiseki, from Kyoto. While Kiseki's writing lacked the style and depth of Saikaku's, he is credited with creating the "katagi-mono", or character books, a genre that remained popular throughout the eighteenth century. Each book consisted of about fifteen sketches describing various types of people.

By the mid-eighteenth century, Edo had become the center of literary activity, and while "ukiyozōshi" continued to be produced until around the 1770s, the genre became stagnant after Kiseki's death and slowly declined.

Characteristics

By the time the "ukiyozōshi" genre first appeared, the commercial publishing industry had been fully developed. "Ukiyozōshi" books were published at a fixed size and length, and it was around this time that literature first began to be published for profit. For these reasons, prose literature, including "ukiyozōshi", tended to be of low quality. Nevertheless, many "ukiyozōshi" works, particularly those of Saikaku, feature sophisticated literary techniques, structures, and insight into the lives and personalities of the characters.

"Ukiyozōshi" literature was considered popular literature and was written in the kana-based vernacular language. In contrast, elite literature, such as "kanbun", was written in classical Chinese or classical Japanese and typically focused on traditional aristocratic topics, such as love and nature.

"Ukiyozōshi" covered a variety of subjects, many of which were considered vulgar or inappropriate for elite literature. A prime example is the "kōshoku-mono" sub-genre, which consisted of erotic works centered on the pleasure quarters. The other sub-genres of "ukiyozōshi" are "chōnin-mono", which dealt with the lives of townspeople; "setsuwa-mono", or tales of the strange or curious; and "buke-mono", which focused on samurai. Most "ukiyozōshi" works fell into one of these sub-genres and were aimed at a particular readership.

One important characteristic of "ukiyozōshi" is its intense realism. Since late "kanazoshi" literature, a shift towards commoner literature and realism had been apparent, but it was not until "ukiyozōshi" that Japanese prose literature approached true realism. "Ukiyozōshi" is markedly less sentimental and reveals a more objective and cynical perspective. For example, many of Saikaku's stories end tragically and are written in a detached, ironic tone.

See also

*Ihara Saikaku
*Ukiyo
*Ukiyo-e

References

*cite web |url=http://www.ency-japan.com/|title=Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan |format= |work=
*cite book |title=The Floating World in Japanese Fiction |last=Hibbett |first=Howard |year=1959 |publisher=Charles E. Tuttle Company |location=Vermont, Japan |isbn=0-8048-1154-7
*cite book |title=Japan: A Literary Overview |editor=John K. Gillespie |year=1993 |publisher=Council on National Literatures |location=New York |isbn=0-918680-23-9
*cite book |title=Early Modern Japanese Literature: An Anthology, 1600-1900 |editor=Haruo Shirane |year=2002 |publisher=Columbia University Press |location=New York |isbn=0-231-10990-3