Ihara Saikaku

Background

Ihara Saikaku was born in the family of an Osaka merchant. His true name was said to have been Togo Hirayama. His family seems to have been a rich one. Nothing is known about his parents.

Education

He became a disciple of Soin Nishiyama, a haiku poet, and became adept at the art of Oyakazu Haikai, or composing many 17-syllable poems in rapid succession in one sitting.

Career

In his early writing career, he called himself Kakuei and later Saihoo. After the death of his master, Soin, he started writing ukiyozoshi in 1682. The first novel he wrote was Koshoku Ichidai Otokof or the erotic adventures of a man called Yonosuke. It was followed by many other novels, and he soon became a novelist of the top rank. Altogether he wrote more than 20 books of fiction, some of which being erotic including Koshoku Ichiaat Onnaf Kdshobu Gonin Onna and Nanshoku Okagami.

Achievements

• A Riant in the history of Japanese literature, he is regarded as the first writer of fiction of the modern type and originator of ukiyozoshi. His style was also revolutionary in that it combined the elegant old style and contemporary common language. He showed a keen insight into human psychology, vividly describing peopled actions motivated by lust or reed. He retained the sensitive impressionism of the traditional haiku poet's prose.

Personality

He was a pithy and unrestrained writer.

Connections

His wife died early and his only daughter was blind and died young.