Santo Kyoden (山東京伝)
Kyoden SANTO (September 13, 1761 - October 27, 1816) was a painter and a Gesaku (light literature) writer who lived during the Edo Period. His real name was Samuru IWASE. His common name was Kyoya Denzo. Kyozan SANTO, a writer of Gokan (bound-together volumes of illustrated books), was his younger brother.
He is known for the punishment of a tegusari (confinement to one's residence with handcuffs on the wrists) he received during the Kansei Reforms.
Biography
He was born in Fukagawa, Edo (Koto Ward, Tokyo). It is said that the Iwase family, which he was born into, ran a pawnshop in Kiba. Kyoden studied under an Ukiyo-e artist, Shigetora KITAO, and debuted as an illustration painter for Kibyoshi (the illustrated book of popular tales with yellow covers in the late Edo period) under the name of Masanobu KITAO. He later switched over to a Gesaku writer and called himself as Kyoden SANTO. Kyoden became a popular writer by publishing numerous Kibyoshi and Sharebon (literally, witty books). Bakin KYOKUTEI became his disciple and started a career as a Gesaku writer.
Kyoden received a punishment of 50 days of a tegusari for his Sharebon and Kibyoshi published in 1791 during the crackdown on printing matters in the Kansei Reforms. After the punishment, he gave up Sharebon and was converted to Yomihon (a long fiction book featuring histories and kanzen choaku [rewarding good and punishing evil]). In his later years, he wrote books on studies on manners and customs, including "Kinsei Kiseki Ko" (studies on modern manners and customs).
He got married twice, both times to yujo (prostitutes) from Yoshiwara (famous yujo town).
It is said that traditional Gesaku writers were not given enough manuscript fees as Gesaku was regarded as a side work, but Kyoden SANTO became the first Gesaku writer to receive a decent amount of manuscript fees in those years.
Some people believe that he was born out of wedlock to Munekatsu TOKUGAWA, the Lord of Owari Domain.
Masterpieces
Kibyoshi
"Ohana Hanshichi Kaicho Riyaku no Mekuriai" (1778): the first book of Kyoden
"Edo Umare Uwaki no Kabayaki" (Playboy, Roasted à la Edo) (1785)
Sharebon
"Musukobeya" (1785)
"Tsugen Somagaki" (1787)
"Kokei no Sansho" (1787)
"Keiseikai Shijuhatte" (The Forty-Eight Grips in Buying a Whore) (1790)
"Shigeshige Chiwa" (1790)
"Shikake Bunko" (1791)
Yomihon
"Chushin Suikoden" (1799)
"Udonge Monogatari" (1804)
"Mukashigatari Inazuma Byoshi" (1806)
Gokan
"Orokugushi Kiso no Adauchi" (1806)
Historical Study
"Kinsei Kiseki Ko" (1804)
"Kotto shu" (1813 - 1815)