Kana Zoshi (仮名草子)
Kana Zoshi refers collectively to stories/practical texts of Kinsei Bungaku (Japanese Edo period literature) written in kana characters, or a mixture of kanji and kana, during the early Edo period.
Summary
It was created as an extension of Otogi Zoshi and published as reading material for the general public written in kana characters, on all sorts of topics. Many of the authors were from the intellectual class of the time, and Ryoi ASAI, Shosan SUZUKI, Mitsuhiro KARASUMARU are well known.
Such excellent literary works as "Koshoku ichidai otoko" (Life of an amorous man) by Saikaku IHARA were written as Kana Zoshi, which later came to be distinguished as Ukiyo Zoshi (stories of the floating world).
Contents
Many have enlightening subject matter. There were stories, collections of anecdotes, and comical stories, including Confucian lessons and works used as practical guidebooks such as Meisho annai-ki (guidebook of famous sites), Yaro hyoban-ki (reviews of the actors) and Yujo hyoban-ki (reviews of the courtesans).
Major works
Nise Monogatari (author unknown)
Kiyomizu Monogatari (Irinan ASAYAMA)
Chikusai (Doya TOMIYAMA)
Uraminosuke (author unknown)
Tokaido meisho-ki (Ryoi ASAI)
Azuma Monogatari (author unknown/Yujo hyoban-ki)
Naniwadora (Yusuianmuteikoji/Yujo hyoban-ki)
Many other works
There is a series of Kana Zoshi called "Kana Zoshi Shusei" (Tokyodo Publishing Co., Ltd., 45 volumes in all) which consists of approximately 200 books (44 volumes have been published as of September 2008).
(for reference)