Misplaced Pages

#30969

69-512: Born in Edo (present-day Tokyo ) on 4 July 1767, Bakin was the fifth son of Bunkurō Omon and Takizawa Okiyoshi . Two of his elder brothers died in infancy. Bakin 's father, Okiyoshi , was a samurai in the service of one of the Shōgun's retainers, Matsudaira Nobutsuna until 1751 when he left his lord and gained service with Matsuzawa Bunkurō . While serving under Bunkurō , Okiyoshi

138-423: A samurai and moved in with Rabun who had spent most of his savings on medicine. This was the last time Bakin would serve as a samurai . He would study medicine but find the profession uncomfortable before pursuing jobs as a comic poet, fortuneteller, comedian, and Confucian Scholar. Bakin 's turning point came in 1790 when he approached the very successful author, Santō Kyōden , seeking help with

207-459: A Japanese styling done. Since in the Edo period Chinese culture was viewed in high regard, this made Yomihon popular among the higher classes to seem more sophisticated. In addition, to escape censorship, Yomihon was written as historical fiction to avoid using real people, while still containing commentary about the state of Japan. This often included criticisms of government, popular social practices and

276-423: A clan physician, married a young woman named Otetsu in 1827. She was later called Omichi and would play a pivotal role in her father-in-law's later life. Omichi bore three children; son Tarō (1828-?), daughter Otsugi (1830-?) who was adopted by Osaki and Seiemon , and daughter Osachi (1833-?). The final parts of the work were dictated to his daughter-in-law. Bakin 's health, which had started

345-588: A deadline for two works approached. These two works, Tatsunomiyako namagusa hachinoki and Jitsugo-kyō osana kōshaku were written by Bakin and copied by Kyōden before being sent off for publishing. 1792 marked the first time " Bakin " appeared in a published work. In 1793 Bakin married Aida Ohyaku , a widow and owner of a footwear shop, mainly for financial reasons. Ohyaku gave Bakin four children during their marriage: three daughters; Osaki (1794-1854), Oyū (1796-?) and Okuwa (1800-?), and one son, Sōhaku (1798-1835). Bakin helped with

414-608: A didactic tone that Bakin would carry through most of his works going forward. This choice in tone would benefit him as literature and the laws around it had changed in 1790 with the adoption of the Kansei Reforms . Bakin was able to avoid the punishments levied on his contemporaries like Shikitei Sanba , Jippensha Ikku and his friend and patron, Santō Kyōden . Bakin chose to stay silent on any controversies in his writings. Kyōden 's own humiliation deeply affected him. He requested Bakin ghostwrite for him as

483-677: A fortified residence, probably around the edge of the Musashino Terrace , that would become Edo castle. Shigetsugu's son, Edo Shigenaga ( 江戸重長 ) , took the Taira's side against Minamoto no Yoritomo in 1180 but eventually surrendered to Minamoto and became a gokenin for the Kamakura shogunate . At the fall of the shogunate in the 14th century, the Edo clan took the side of the Southern Court , and its influence declined during

552-694: A historical fiction called Yoshitsune Banjaku-den , and his writing relied on Chinese influence less. In addition, another author called Shoshu wrote Shochu hachiyuden , which the title directly anticipated Bakin’s work of Nanso Satomi Hakkenden . Yomihon will take its ultimate form in the hands of Santo Kyoden and Takizawa Bakin. Their stories were complex with unified plots, didactic tones, character development, supernatural elements, and seamlessly combined colloquial and Chinese elements. Bakin himself wrote more than 30 Yomihon borrowing much from his precursors, while also having his own originality. He wrote famous Yomihon like Nanso Satomi Hakkenden , considered to be

621-511: A position for him in 1781, the longest Bakin would hold, until he departed in 1784 due to dissatisfaction. Bakin then moved in with Keichū for a short time until Keichū 's lord died, discharging him from service in 1785. He found a position for Bakin , though the young samurai stayed on for less than a year. Keichū died unattended in September 1786. Keichū 's death humbled Bakin who became ill in 1788. He left his post as

690-504: A refuge. The estate of the upper residence was attributed by the shogunate according to the status of the clan and its relation with the Shogun. The middle residence ( 中屋敷 , naka-yashiki ) , a bit further from the castle, could house the heir of the lord, his servants from his fief when he was in Edo for the sankin-kotai alternate residency, or be a hiding residence if needed. The lower residence ( 下屋敷 , shimo-yashiki ) , if there

759-460: A slow decline in 1818 worsened into the 1830s. He continued to publish but at a much slower pace than before. His wife's frequent illnesses taxed him as did his son's continued invalidity and Bakin 's rheumatism and vision loss progressed. He would feel bouts of energy between 1825 and 1835 that would allow him to continue working. In 1835, Sōhaku passed and the blow was so devastating to Bakin that he considered retiring from writing. Fearing

SECTION 10

#1732772290031

828-657: A walking tour and his experiences would play pivotal roles in both his life and writing. The first tour lasted two months and provided him with several historical locations that would appear in his works. During this trip he also fully resolved to restore his family position using his writing. A second walking tour in 1802 lasted three months and was a tour along the Tōkaidō Post Road . On this tour, Bakin visited many places that would appear in his future work. He also encountered people of various social standing and professions. His travels coincided with extensive flooding across

897-753: Is a type of Japanese book from the Edo period (1603–1867). Unlike other Japanese books of the periods, such as kusazōshi , they had few illustrations, and the emphasis was on the text. In storylines, Buddhist ethics such as karma are often preached, and characters with supernatural powers and imaginary creatures are often depicted. From the end of the 16th century to the 18th century, Chinese novels such as Water Margin were translated and published in Japan. The mutual influence of Chinese novel styles, Japanese traditional war chronicles gunki monogatari , Buddhist tales, and Jitsurokumono based on social incidents promoted

966-736: Is the former name of Tokyo . Edo, formerly a jōkamachi (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province , became the de facto capital of Japan from 1603 as the seat of the Tokugawa shogunate . Edo grew to become one of the largest cities in the world under the Tokugawa. After the Meiji Restoration in 1868 the Meiji government renamed Edo as Tokyo ( 東 京 , "Eastern Capital") and relocated

1035-526: The Battle of Sekigahara in October 1600. He formally founded the Tokugawa shogunate in 1603 and established his headquarters at Edo Castle . Edo became the center of political power and the de facto capital of Japan, although the historic capital of Kyoto remained the de jure capital as the seat of the emperor. Edo grew from a fishing village in Musashi Province in 1457 into the largest metropolis in

1104-601: The Emperor from the historic capital of Kyoto to the city. The era of Tokugawa rule in Japan from 1603 to 1868 is known as the Edo period . Before the 10th century, there is no mention of Edo in historical records, but for a few settlements in the area. That name for the area first appears in the Azuma Kagami chronicles, which have probably been used since the second half of the Heian period . Edo's development started in

1173-553: The Imperial Palace . During the Edo period, there were about 100 major fires, mostly begun by accident and often quickly escalating and spreading through neighborhoods of wooden nagaya that were heated with charcoal fires. In 1868, the Tokugawa shogunate was overthrown in the Meiji Restoration by supporters of Emperor Meiji and his Imperial Court in Kyoto , ending Edo's status as the de facto capital of Japan. However,

1242-529: The Matsudaira clan to reduce the Takizawa stipend by half, starting the steady decline of Bakin 's family. Omon , Bakin 's mother, is characterized as being a good mother and loyal wife and the family had the privilege of living in the Matsudaira mansion until their piecemeal departure from Matsudaira Nobunari 's service that reached its completion in 1780. Her eldest son, Rabun (1759-1798)

1311-507: The Muromachi period . In 1456, a vassal of the Ōgigayatsu branch of the Uesugi clan started to build a castle on the former fortified residence of the Edo clan and took the name Ōta Dōkan . Dōkan lived in the castle until his assassination in 1486. Under Dōkan, with good water connections to Kamakura, Odawara and other parts of Kanto and the country, Edo expanded as a jōkamachi , with

1380-453: The court nobles , its Buddhist temples and its history; Osaka was the country's commercial center, dominated by the chōnin or the merchant class. On the contrary, the samurai and daimyō residences occupied up to 70% of the area of Edo. On the east and northeast sides of the castle lived the Shomin ( 庶民 , "regular people") including the chōnin in a much more densely populated area than

1449-491: The machi , where single floor nagayas , the uranagayas ( 裏長屋 , litt. "backstreet long houses") were located. Rentals and smaller rooms for lower ranked shonin were located in those back housings. Edo was nicknamed the City of 808 towns ( 江戸八百八町 , Edo happyaku yachō ) , depicting the large number and diversity of those communities, but the actual number was closer to 1,700 by the 18th century. Edo's municipal government

SECTION 20

#1732772290031

1518-547: The Crescent Moon) was adapted for the kabuki stage by Yukio Mishima . Kyokutei Bakin has been released as a playable 5★ Rider-class Servant in Fate/Grand Order during early summer 2022. However, this version of Bakin is actually a fusion between him and his daughter-in-law Tokimura Michi, since Michi served as Bakin's substitute writer after he lost his eyesight. The Servant Kyokutei Bakin contains

1587-478: The Gofunai, creating some complexity on the handling on the matters of the city. The Machi-bugyō oversaw the numerous Machi where shonin lived through representatives called Machidoshiyori ( 町年寄 ) . Each Machi had a Machi leader called Nanushi ( 名主 ) , who reported to a Machidoshiyori ( 町年寄 ) who himself was in charge of several Machis. Yomihon Yomihon ( 読本 , yomi-hon , "reading books")

1656-743: The Uesugi clan, which fell to the Later Hōjō clan at the battle of Takanawahara in 1524, during the expansion of their rule over the Kantō area. When the Hōjō clan was finally defeated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1590, the Kanto area was given to rule to Toyotomi's senior officer Tokugawa Ieyasu , who took his residence in Edo. Tokugawa Ieyasu emerged as the paramount warlord of the Sengoku period following his victory at

1725-539: The castle bordering a cove (now Hibiya Park ) opening into Edo Bay , and the town developing along the Hirakawa River running into the cove, and on Edomaeto ( 江戸前島 ) , the stretch of land on the eastern side of the cove (now roughly where Tokyo Station is). Some priests and scholars fleeing Kyoto after the Ōnin War came to Edo during that period. After the death of Dōkan, the castle became one of strongholds of

1794-413: The center of the city's commercial center and the starting point of the gokaidō (thus making it the de facto "center of the country"). Fishermen, craftsmen and other producers and retailers operated here. Shippers managed ships known as tarubune to and from Osaka and other cities, bringing goods into the city or transferring them from sea routes to river barges or land routes. The northeastern corner of

1863-543: The city and of the Sumida River , a massive network of canals was dug. Fresh water was a major issue, as direct wells would provide brackish water because of the location of the city over an estuary. The few fresh water ponds of the city were put to use, and a network of canals and underground wooden pipes bringing freshwater from the western side of the city and the Tama River was built. Some of this infrastructure

1932-544: The city was considered dangerous in the traditional onmyōdō cosmology and was protected from evil by a number of temples including Sensō-ji and Kan'ei-ji , one of the two tutelary Bodaiji temples of the Tokugawa. A path and a canal, a short distance north of Sensō-ji, extended west from the Sumida riverbank leading along the northern edge of the city to the Yoshiwara pleasure district. Previously located near Ningyōchō,

2001-403: The city's fresh water distribution system, garbage collection area and communal bathrooms. A typical machi was of rectangular shape and could have a population of several hundred. The machi had curfew for the night with closing and guarded gates called kidomon ( 木戸門 ) opening on the main street ( 表通り , omote-dori ) in the machi . Two floor buildings and larger shops, reserved to

2070-417: The city. Besides the large concentration in the northeast side to protect the city, the second Bodaiji of the Tokugawa, Zōjō-ji occupied a large area south of the castle. The samurai and daimyōs residential estates varied dramatically in size depending on their status. Some daimyōs could have several of those residences in Edo. The upper residence ( 上屋敷 , kami-yashiki ) , was the main residence while

2139-446: The collapse of his newly restored family, Bakin decided in 1836 to hold a party to celebrate his birthday. In reality, he did so to raise funds for Tarō to afford a position as a low-ranking samurai. The gala attracted leading writers and publishers, poets and entertainers, and important officials form the Shōgun 's court. Tarō 's future was secured though he was too young to serve at

Takizawa Bakin - Misplaced Pages Continue

2208-438: The concept of The Tale of Hōgen , Taiheiki and Water Margin . There are various theories as to why Bakin and Hokusai dissolved their cooperation, such as discordant personalities and conflicting opinions on how to draw illustrations. By 1818, with the purchase of a second household with the profits of his book sales and wife's business, the Takizawa family was officially restored. In 1820, Bakin 's son, Sōhaku

2277-431: The content. His next work was Asaka no Numa , which is a revenge story, which was becoming popular in Japan at the time it was written. His next popular work was Udonge Monogatari , which was important for its use of Buddhist moral themes and karmic retribution. As Kyoden’s student, those themes made its way into Bakin’s works and created what can be considered one the best Yomihon written, Nanso Satomi Hakkenden . In it,

2346-428: The district was rebuilt in this more remote location after the great fire of Meireki. Danzaemon, the hereditary position head of eta , or outcasts, who performed "unclean" works in the city resided nearby. Temples and shrines occupied roughly 15% of the surface of the city, equivalent to the living areas of the townspeople, with however an average of one-tenth of its population. Temples and shrines were spread out over

2415-433: The higher-ranking members of the society, were facing the main street. A machi would typically follow a grid pattern and smaller streets, Shinmichi ( 新道 ) , were opening on the main street, also with (sometimes) two-floor buildings, shop on the first floor, living quarter on the second floor, for the more well-off residents. Very narrow streets accessible through small gates called roji ( 路地 ) , would enter deeper inside

2484-621: The house as Ohyaku had slipped into mental instability with the death of Sōhaku . Aida Ohyaku died in 1841. In the autumn of 1848, Bakin felt chest pains and had difficulty breathing. After a short recovery he relapsed and declined the services of a physician. On November 30, he gave his final testament and passed early in the morning of December 1. He was interred in the Jinkōji Temple beside his ancestors. Nearly four decades after his death, Bakin 's works were still popular. Many writers, such as Kanagaki Robun kept his works in

2553-572: The late 11th century with a branch of the Kanmu- Taira clan ( 桓武平氏 ) called the Chichibu clan ( 秩父氏 ) coming from the banks of the then- Iruma River , present-day upstream of the Arakawa river. A descendant of the head of the Chichibu clan settled in the area and took the name Edo Shigetsugu ( 江戸重継 ) , likely based on the name used for the place, and founded the Edo clan . Shigetsugu built

2622-430: The lord was in Edo and was used for official duties. It was not necessarily the largest of his residences, but the most convenient to commute to the castle. The upper residence also acted as the representative embassy of the domain in Edo, connecting the shogunate and the clan. The shogunate did not exercise its investigative powers inside the precincts of the residential estate of the upper residence, which could also act as

2691-415: The loss of his eyesight and the death of his wife and only son. While writing, Bakin also went about ensuring his children married well. Oyu had married in 1815 and given birth to a son. Osaki married Yoshida Shinroku (1787-1837) in 1823 and her new husband took on the management of the family business under the name Seiemon . Sōhaku , after a prolonged illness that kept him from his duties as

2760-490: The nation. Bakin witnessed recent destruction and displaced peoples all along the road. These encounters and experiences made their way into Bakin 's novels and lent them an honesty that would make his works popular through the entire social strata of Japan. From 1803 to 1813, Bakin published thirty historical novels, marking the beginning of his full career as a professional writer. Several of these works were adapted to various forms of theater across Japan. By 1810 Bakin

2829-461: The new Meiji government soon renamed Edo to Tōkyō (東京, "Eastern Capital") and the city became the formal capital of Japan when the emperor moved his residence to the city. Very quickly after its inception, the shogunate undertook major works in Edo that drastically changed the topography of the area, notably under the Tenka-Bushin ( 天下普請 ) nationwide program of major civil works involving

Takizawa Bakin - Misplaced Pages Continue

2898-571: The now pacified daimyō workforce. The Hibiya cove facing the castle was soon filled after the arrival of Ieyasu, the Hirakawa river was diverted, and several protective moats and logistical canals were dug (including the Kanda river), to limit the risks of flooding. Landfill works on the bay began, with several areas reclaimed during the duration of the shogunate (notably the Tsukiji area). East of

2967-604: The pinnacle of Yomihon. Bakin was the student of Kyoden, and in many places, considered his spiritual successor. As Kyoden’s health began to decline, Bakin’s work grew in popularity and readily took its place. Kyoden’s first Yomihon was Takao Senjimon , which based its structure on a Chinese piece Shui Hu Chan . Following that, he wrote Chushin Suikoden , which Bakin highly praised. It was also criticized for relying too heavily on Kyoden’s Kibyoshi writing skills but praised by critics on his writing skill and adaptation, but not on

3036-652: The pleasure quarters until the Kansei Edicts banned such works. Yomihon as a genre was marked by its use of text heavy format, that often-left little room for illustrations. It was written in a Kanji-laden style, that frequently borrowed from Chinese elements. This meant that only the most educated readers of the Edo period would be able to read most Yomihon, which meant that Yomihon was not written for profit, but instead as an art. Most Yomihon were not original works, but instead adapted from Chinese stories, which can be argued that Yomihon are just Chinese mythology with

3105-822: The public eye. There was, however, push back from students who had become versed in Western literature . Foremost among them was Tsubouchi Shōyō who heavily criticized Bakin 's didactic method of writing as pre-modern without directly attacking Bakin in his work Shōsetsu shinzui . This attitude was countered by scholars like Yoda Gakkai . Bakin made also the Japanese version of Haoqiu zhuan , titled Kyōkakuden . and authors like Mori Ōgai used Bakin 's methodology for adapting Chinese literature to bring Western works to Japan. A series of ukiyo-e containing 50 pictures depicting characters from Nansō Satomi Hakkenden and featuring leading kabuki actors

3174-444: The publication of the former samurai 's first work, Tsukaihatashite nibu kyogen ( 尽用而二分狂言 ). In 1798 Rabun died of dysentery leaving Bakin as the sole male heir of the Takizawa line. He swore to restore the family line. Rabun 's two daughters had died of illness in infancy. Tsukaihatashite nibu kyogen (尽用而二分狂言) was published in 1791 under the pen name " Daiei Sanjin , Disciple of Kyoden ". This first book had

3243-690: The residence of their lord. The hatamoto samurais, in direct service of the Shogun, would have their own residences, usually located behind the castle on the Western side in the Banchō area. In a strict sense of the word, chōnin were only the townspeople who owned their residence, which was actually a minority. The shonin population mainly lived in semi-collective housings called nagaya ( 長屋 , litt. "Long house") , multi-rooms wooden dwellings, organized in enclosed machi ( 町 , "town" or "village") , with communal facilities, such as wells connected to

3312-484: The same geographical jurisdiction in spite of their name but rotated roles on a monthly basis. Despite their extensive responsibilities, the teams of the Machi-Bugyō were rather small, with 2 offices of 125 people each. The Machi-Bugyō did not have jurisdiction over the samurai residential areas, which remained under the shogunate direct rule. The geographical jurisdiction of the Machi-Bugyō did not exactly coincide with

3381-608: The samurai class area, organized in a series of gated communities called machi (町, "town" or "village"). This area, Shitamachi (下町, "lower town" or "lower towns"), was the center of urban and merchant culture. Shomin also lived along the main roads leading in and out of the city. The Sumida River, then called the Great River (大川, Ōkawa ), ran on the eastern side of the city. The shogunate's official rice-storage warehouses and other official buildings were located here. The Nihonbashi bridge ( 日本橋 , lit. "bridge of Japan") marked

3450-556: The shop until the death of his mother-in-law in 1795 when he acquired time to write more regularly. In 1796, he published his first yomihon Takao senjimon ( 高尾船字文 ) and his works spread to Kyoto and Osaka , earning him nationwide acclaim. He had eleven other works published in 1797, setting a pace of about ten books per year until 1802. If he wrote a story he didn't enjoy, he would sign it " Kairaishi , disciple of Kyokutei Bakin " causing other aspiring authors to seek out this fictional disciple. In 1800 Bakin embarked on

3519-550: The social hierarchy of Edo Period Japan. The precursors to the Edo-style Yomihon writing are often considered to be Ueda Akinari and Takebe Ayatari. Ayatari is considered to be the father of Edo-style Yomihon, with his first book Nishiyome Monogatari , which was cast in a historical setting, setting the trend of historical fiction writing. At around the same time, Akinari published Ugetsu Monogatari , and thought of himself to be rivals with Ayatari. His works focused on

SECTION 50

#1732772290031

3588-635: The souls of Bakin and Michi which both share Michi's body, and both of them can switch personalities depending on the situation, and the Servant is accompanied by the eight Dog Warriors as their familiars. If Kyokutei Bakin reaches their Third Ascension, the spirit of Fusehime takes over Michi's body who is then accompanied by the dog familiar Yatsufusa. [REDACTED] Media related to Kyokutei Bakin at Wikimedia Commons Edo Edo ( Japanese : 江戸 , lit.   '"bay-entrance" or " estuary "'), also romanized as Jedo , Yedo or Yeddo ,

3657-505: The stylization of yomihon and, in 1749, Tsuga Teishō published Hanabusasōshi establishing the style of yomihon . Takebe Ayatari, and Okajima Kanzan were also instrumental in developing the yomihon . Another early pioneer of the yomihon was Ueda Akinari , with his Ugetsu Monogatari and Harusame Monogatari . Kyokutei Bakin wrote the extremely popular fantasy/historical romance Nansō Satomi Hakkenden , in addition to other yomihon . Santō Kyōden wrote yomihon mostly set in

3726-570: The time. Omichi 's cousin served in his place until 1840 under the name Takizawa Jirō . In order to be closer to his grandson's post, Bakin sold the family house in the city and moved into a rural estate. He would spend the last twelve years of his life there. Bakin lost vision in his right eye in 1834 and was completely blind by 1840. Omichi , who could read complex literature acted as Bakin 's amanuensis from 1840 till his death in 1848. With her assistance he finished several works and answered many letters and critiques. She also attended to

3795-529: The urban planning afterwards to make the city more resilient, with many empty areas to break spreading fires, and wider streets. Reconstruction efforts expanded the city east of the Sumida River, and some daimyō residences were relocated to give more space to the city, especially in the immediate vicinity of the shogun's residence, creating a large green space beside the castle, now the Fukiage gardens of

3864-493: The vanity of human wishes, and the suffering war leaves behind. Akinari also relished in the complex nature of Yomihon, and hated the other popular genres of time, and is quoted as saying Lady Murasaki deserves to be doomed to hell for writing the Tale of Genji . Middle Yomihon developed further on the progress made before it, with authors like Itan Ohie’en publishing multiple collections based on Chinese tales. Tsuga Teisho published

3933-536: The very beginning of the shogunate daimyōs , later hatamoto ) officials appointed to keep the order in the city, with the word designating both the heading magistrate, the magistrature and its organization. They were in charge of Edo's day-to-day administration, combining the role of police, judge and fire brigade. There were two offices, the South Machi-Bugyō and the North Machi-Bugyō, which had

4002-489: The world, with an estimated population of 1 million by 1721. Edo was repeatedly devastated by fires, the Great Fire of Meireki in 1657 being the most disastrous, with an estimated 100,000 victims and a vast portion of the city completely burnt. The population of Edo was around 300,000, and the impact of the fire was tremendous. The fire destroyed the central keep of Edo Castle, which was never rebuilt, and it influenced

4071-425: Was adopted into the family and wed Bunkurō 's adopted daughter, Omon . Okiyoshi returned to serve the Matsudaira family in 1760 after Okiyoshi's successor was dismissed for embezzlement. Though a heavy drinker, he was devoted to scholarship of classical Chinese works, especially those focused on military matters. He was a diligent samurai , but contracted gout in 1773 and died in 1775. His death forced

4140-421: Was any, was on the outskirts of town, more of a pleasure retreat with gardens. The lower residence could also be used as a retreat for the lord if a fire had devastated the city. Some of the powerful daimyōs residences occupied vast grounds of several dozens of hectares. Maintenance and operations of those residential estates could be extremely expensive. Samurai in service of a specific clan would normally live in

4209-408: Was appointed clan physician by Lord Matsumae Akihiro making his social class officially samurai and Bakin felt his family's future was secured. The Bunka-Bunsei cultural renaissance which started in 1804 lent momentum to fiction as a whole and art flourished until the renaissance concluded around 1830. Serialized long-form works became more prevalent, not just among historical novels. It

SECTION 60

#1732772290031

4278-469: Was carefully attributed depending on their position as tozama , shinpan or fudai . It was this extensive organization of the city for the samurai class which defined the character of Edo, particularly in contrast to the two major cities of Kyoto and Osaka , neither of which were ruled by a daimyō or had a significant samurai population. Kyoto's character was defined by the Imperial Court,

4347-553: Was created by Utagawa Kunisada II . These prints were published in the early 1850s by Tsutaya Kichizo . Excerpts translated by Chris Drake are included in Early Modern Japanese Literature: An Anthology, 1600-1900 , edited by Haruo Shirane (Columbia University Press, 2002). The Eight Dog Chronicles has been adapted many times in, for example, the anime OVA The Hakkenden . His Chinsetsu Yumiharizuki (Strange Tales of

4416-410: Was declared the head of the family at age nine. When Rabun found service with a new family in 1778, Omon pretended to be ill to move in with him. While living there, Omon grew ill due to malnutrition and died 1 August 1785. Bakin served the Matsudaira lord's grandson until 1780 when he declared himself rōnin at age 14 leaving the following haiku : Rabun was able to secure

4485-790: Was during this time that Bakin continued publishing profitable and popular works. These ranged among scholarly essays and journals, though his most prevalent fiction remained the historical novel. He also embarked on creating his signature piece, Nansō satomi hakkenden . This work consisted of 106 volumes, making it one of the world's longest novels, and took 28 years to complete (1814–1842). Like most of his works, Hakkenden focused on samurai themes, including loyalty and family honor , as well as Confucianism , and Buddhist philosophy . During its production, Bakin would recede from public life and split from his contemporaries causing rumors to circulate that he had died. Unfortunately, while working on this voluminous work, Bakin would experience

4554-471: Was making a comfortable living as a writer, exceeding the stipend that had been allotted to his family while they served under Matsudaira and he was considered the preeminent author of historical novels. This success was partly due to his collaboration with famous artists. Between 1804 and 1815, Bakin and the creative illustrator Hokusai collaborated on 13 works. In particular, Chinsetsu yumiharizuki , published between 1807 and 1811, which borrowed

4623-411: Was the only child not born on the Matsudaira estate and served the family until becoming a rōnin in 1776. His departure led to Omon and her remaining children including Bakin and his two younger sisters, Ohisa (1771-?) and Okiku (1774-?), being forced into a much smaller dwelling. Bakin 's older brother, Keichū (1765–1786), was adopted out to lessen the financial burden and Bakin

4692-536: Was under the responsibility of the rōjū , the senior officials who oversaw the entire bakufu – the government of the Tokugawa shogunate. The administrative definition of Edo was called Gofunai ( 御府内 , litt. "where the government is") . The Kanjō-bugyō (finance commissioners) were responsible for the financial matters of the shogunate, whereas the Jisha-Bugyō handled matters related to shrines and temples. The Machi-bugyō ( 町奉行 ) were samurai (at

4761-504: Was used until the 20th century. The city was laid out as a castle town around Edo Castle, which was positioned at the tip of the Musashino terrace . The area in the immediate proximity of the castle consisted of samurai and daimyō residences, whose families lived in Edo as part of the sankin-kōtai system; the daimyō made journeys in alternating years to Edo and used the residences for their entourages. The location of each residence

#30969