Japanese Culture: Identity and Tradition

Tokugawa and Edo society.
Tokugawa Ieyasu brought to frutition the unification of Japan.

There was a rigid stratification of people into hierarchies of rank
Samurai
peasants/farmers
Artisans
Merchants

Mothers weren't very well respected
Acceptance of one's slot in life. So that there wasn't discontent about ones social position.

Rapid expansion of Edo, Osaka, Kyoto. 17th century, due to peace, stability, transportation and communication systems.
Each shougunate would have to spend each consecutive year in Edo, and their families on the other year. This enables a lot of movement in and out of Edo.
This brought about a truly national culture and language in the wake of this 'alternate attendance system.
Literacy increased, the wealth of the merchants increased (bigger economy) and also we see the development of pleasure quarters, Kabuki and bunraku. These were established to satiate the baser desires of the lower levels of society.

Ihara Saikaku
1642-93
Born in 大阪
Haikai poet
Creator of new genre of fiction - Ukiyo Zooshi, dealing with the life of the pleasure quarters.

His fiction was popular when he was alive, but then disregarded.

Features of his fiction:
1. Desire, sex, love, pleasure quarters.
Kou shoku - in terms of the physical involvement only.
"The Life Of An Amorous Man" About a man that does to an island and has sex forever in completely happy.
"The hero named Yonosuke ("Man of the World") was born as a child between Yumesuke ("Man of the Dreams"), who lived in insatiable pursuit of love affairs with women and men as well, and a celebrated courtesan; the son first made love to a woman at the age of seven. Thereafter, always devoting himself to the affairs, Yonosuke ended up, at 60, sailing to Nyogogashima ("Isle of Women"). This work narrates 54 years of his adventures in the form of a novel. " ネットから

2. Words dealing with love/fidelity, honour / vengance and duty/obligation/loyalty(義理) of the samurai. He writes about the Samurai and homosexual aspects of their lives. Exemplary form of fidelity and love.
"Tales of Samurai Duty"
"The great mirror of Male love"

Style:
Noteworthy of his realism and social realism. Not so fantastical and removed from the supernatural. Humans as they are, (chikamatsu is idealised)
He wrote everything at a great speed.

The language is difficult because it combined classical and colloquial language (of the merchants). But this shows us a realism because this is how they would have spoken.

He views his characters from a distance - detachment.
Witty, sarcastic, humor, comedy, but with a touch of bitterness.

Despite social realism in his work, there is no social criticism.

He's essentially a storyteller, he's not philosophising or commenting on life, religion or anything. There is no message. It's absent from Basho, Chikamatsu and Saikaku. One of the chief features of the Tokugawa period. His goal was always to entertain!

Kabuki and Bunraku were at their fullest development at that time.