The Life of an Amorous Man

The Life of an Amorous Man is a novel by Ihara Saikaku, a prominent 17th-century Japanese writer known for his lively depictions of the merchant class and the demimonde. The novel, first published in 1682, chronicles the erotic adventures of its hero, Yonosuke, from childhood to old age.1

Saikaku's writing style, influenced by his background in humorous linked-verse poetry, is swift and allusive. His works often reflect the rising prominence of the merchant class in Japanese society during the Tokugawa period. The Life of an Amorous Man is considered the first of Saikaku's many novels focused on the pleasure quarters and is a key example of the ukiyo-zōshi genre, or "tales of the floating world".12