Ihara Saikaku (1642-1693) was a Japanese poet and novelist who played a leading role in creating the so-called ‘floating world’ (ukiyo-zoshi) genre of popular literature in the 17th century. His work was significant because, in terms of both production and content, it reflected the rise of a commercial economy and a new urban class in the early modern period in Japan.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original content at https://www.worldhistory.org/Ihara_Saikaku/.