gesaku

Gesaku (literally "playful composition") was a genre of Japanese literature popular during the late Tokugawa period (roughly 1770–1867). These works were often written by educated men who disclaimed responsibility for their content, focusing on entertainment rather than strict literary form.1

Gesaku writers aimed for a broad audience, producing popular fiction that included gossip, humorous accounts like Shank's Mare by Jippensha Ikku, and romantic stories such as Tamenaga Shunsui's Shunshoku umegoyomi. Despite their often frivolous nature, authors frequently claimed a didactic purpose.1

With the opening of Japan to the West in the mid-19th century, gesaku writers struggled to adapt to new literary influences and societal changes, eventually declining in prominence.2