Ihara Saikaku Book order

Set during the lively New Year's Eve celebrations, the collection features 20 short stories that explore the humorous and often cunning interactions between debtors and money lenders. Ihara Saikaku masterfully captures the essence of human nature, making his characters relatable even after three centuries. The introduction by scholar David J. Gundry highlights the enduring relevance of these tales, showcasing Saikaku's perceptive insights into societal dynamics and personal relationships.

First published in 1686, this collection of five novellas was an immediate bestseller in the bawdy world that was Genroku Japan, and the book's popularity has increased with age, making it today a literary classic like Boccaccio's Decameron, or the works of Rabelais.

Stories of homosexual love affairs between samurai men and boys and between young kabuki actors and their patrons held broad appeal in pre-modern Japanese culture. An independent popular writer, Saikaku wrote Nanshoku Okagami in 1687 with the intention of extending his readership.