IharaSaikakuEssayCriticalEssays

Analysis
IharaSaikakuwasapoetwhoturnedtowritingprosefictionlateinhislife.Asahaikaipoethehad
distinguishedhimselfasadaredevilmaverickwithhisrapidfireperformances.Yethisfocusinhaikai
wastherealworldofthecommonerslife.UnlikethepoemsofhiscontemporaryMatsuoBash,which
tendedtobesublimated,Saikakuspoemsdealsquarelywiththediurnalactivitiesofthemenand
womenofthecities.Whenheturnedtofiction,hecontinuedtodrawhismaterialsdirectlyfromthe
commercial,urbansocietyofhisday.
Saikakuwasaconsummatestorytellerwhotoldhisstorieswithrelish.Hewasalsoasupremestylistwho
wroteinaterse,innovativestylethatwasemulatedbyhiscontemporariesandfollowers.Toalarge
extent,Saikakusstylederivedfromhistrainingasahaikaipoetwhosemediumrequiredcommunication
bysplashesofimageryratherthanarticulatednarrative.(Unfortunately,suchmattersofstyleareusually
lostintranslationandcanbeseenonlyintheoriginaltext.)Saikakusgeniuslayinthebrilliantinsight
withwhichhewroteaboutsexandmoneyinthelifeofthetownsmen.Hisearliestworkwasimbued
withoptimismandanexuberantair,whilehislaterworksturnedincreasinglypessimistic.Yet
throughouthiswritingcareer,Saikakudisplayedararetalentofinterminglingthecomicwiththetragic.
FiveWomenWhoLovedLove
FiveWomenWhoLovedLoveisgenerallyconsideredtobeSaikakusmasterpiece.Itisarathercarefully
craftedcollectionoffivescandalouslovestories.IncontrasttoSaikakusotherworksonlove,which
wereinrealityaboutmeresexualencounters,thesearestoriesthatdwellmoreextensivelyonthe
portrayalsofmenandwomeninloveandtheoftentragicconsequenceswhichfollow.Allbutthelastof
theselovestoriesendtragicallytheprotagonistspayfortheirindiscretionswiththeirlives.Punishments
forcrimesconsideredsubversivetothehierarchicalorderwereharshintheTokugawaperiod.Ahired
handwhohadillicitintercoursewithhismastersdaughter,forexample,couldhavebeensentencedto
death.Adulterybyamarriedwomanwasalsopunishablebydeath,andahusbandwhocaughthiswife
intheactcouldkillherandherloveronthespot.Deathwasalsooftenthepenaltyforkidnapping,or
evenfortheembezzlementoftenryormore.Thesestoriesacquiredadditionalpoignancyaseachof
themwasbasedonactualscandals,somestillveryfreshinthemindsofSaikakusreaders.Saikaku
freelyalteredandembellishedtheincidentsand,intypicalSaikakustyle,addedcomicaltouches.
ThefirststoryisthatofOnatsu,theyoungersisterofashopkeeperintheregionaltownofHimeji,who
fallsinlovewithSeijr,aclerkinherbrothersemploy.AtanoutingcarefullystagedbySeijr,theyfulfill
theirdesire.Theliaisoncannotgounnoticed,however,andfullyawareofthepenaltyforSeijr,theyflee
byboattoreachOsakabutaretrackeddownandbroughtbacktofacetheconsequences.WhenSeijris
executed,Onatsuloseshermindatonepointshetriestokillherselfbutisrestrained.Shethenbecomes
anuninordertocareforSeijrsgrave,andshepraysforhissouldayandnight.Saikakucomments,
Thisthenismycreation,anewriverandaboatfortheloverstofloattheirlovedownstream,like
bubblesinthissadfleetingworld.Hemakesnocommentontheharshnessofthepunishmentorthe
injusticeofthelaw.Yetthisfinallinemakesitclearwherehissympathylay:Theyhadviolatedno
morallawtheyweresimplytwohaplessloverscaughtinanunreasonablelegalsystem.
Thesecondstoryisaboutadulterybetweenabarrelmakerswife,Osen,andherneighborChzaemon.
OsenisfalselyaccusedofadulterybyChzaemonswife.Incensed,shevowstogivetheaccuserreal
causetoworry.Herdesireforrevenge,however,soonturnstolust.Oneeveningafteraparty,when
Chzaemonfollowsherhome,sheinviteshimin.Theyarenosoonerinbedwhenthebarrelmaker
appearsanddiscoversthemintheact.Chzaemonfleesthescene,onlytobecaughtandlaterexecuted.
Osenchoosesamoreheroicpathtodeath,plungingacarpenterschisellikeplaneintoherheart.Osen
hadactedoutofvengeance,ratherthanlove.Chzaemonsconduct,too,wasdeficient.Saikaku
comments,ThescoundrelsandhercorpsetoowereputonpublicdisplayatToganotoexposetheir

shame.Theirnames,throughcountlessballads,spreadtofarawayprovincestheresnoescapingfrom
onesownmisdeeds.Frightful,thisworldofours!AlthoughOsenissparedtheindignityofpublic
execution,SaikakuleavesnodoubtastohisdisapprovaloftheconductofOsenandChzaemon:
unmitigatedadulterystemmingfromrevengeorlust.
ThethirdandperhapsmosteffectiveofthefivestoriesisaboutOsan,thebeautifulwifeofanalmanac
maker,andMoemon,aclerkinherhusbandsKyotoshop.ThealmanacmakerhashiredMoemon
specificallytolookaftertheshopandOsanwhilehetakesanextendedbusinesstriptoEdo.Duringher
husbandsabsence,OsanandhermaidRin,whoisattractedtoMoemon,playatrickonhim.Theprank
backfires,however,andOsanendsupinbedwithMoemon.MoemonhascometoRinsbedinresponse
toanotefromhermeanwhileOsanhastakenRinsplaceinherbedtosurprisehim.Osan,however,
fallsasleepandistakenunaware.Inthemorning,whenOsanrealizeswhathashappened,sheis
mortifiedabouttheshameaswellasthenatureofhertransgression.Theonlyhonorablewayto
salvagethesituation,shebelieves,istosacrificeherlifeinordertosaveherhonor,andsheasks
Moemontojoinherinherjourneytodeath.Theyelope,stageamocksuicidetofoolpursuersandflee
toamountainhamletwheretheyfindmomentarybliss.Oneday,unabletosuppressanurgeto
reconnoiterthesituationbackinthecapital,Moemonslipsbackintothecityandisspottedthe
misadventureleadstotheirdemise:Theyareparadedthroughthestreetsandexecuted.
Inspiteoftheessentiallytragicnatureoftheincident,thestoryistoldwithhumorousturnsofphrases
andissprinkledwithcomicinterludes.Inlessskilledhands,itcouldeasilyhavebecomeafarcein
Saikakus,ithasbeencraftedintoathoroughlyenjoyabletragicomedy.Theadulteryisunintended,but
Osanhasmadeanirrevocablemistake.Tovalidatehergoodfaithefforttomaintainherhonor,Saikaku
portraysherasanadmirablewoman,trulyinlovewithMoemon.Sheisfurtherportrayedasaspirited
woman,fulloflife,whomakesthemostofthelastdaysofherlifeanddoesnotregretheraction.
Saikakusfinalcomment:AtdawnofthetwentysecondoftheNinthMonththeymettheirendasina
fleeting...
(Theentiresectionis2810words.)