Five Women Who Loved Love

Ihara Saikaku, an outstanding Japanese poet and writer, was recognized as a classic even during his lifetime thanks to his incredible talent for improvisation—hence the nickname "Master of Twenty Thousand Lines." He became a founder of the ukiyo-zoshi genre, but he became especially famous through kōseku-mono—works devoted to love. Saikaku masterfully conveyed the world of passion and pleasure, depicting life in Japan of his time with its bright and dark aspects, thereby elevating love stories to the level of serious literature.

"Five Women Who Gave Themselves to Love" is a cycle of stories about five women who, driven by feelings, break family traditions and Confucian norms—consciously choosing a path that could lead them to a death sentence for adultery.

"The Story of Romantic Escapades of a Lonely Woman" is one of Saikaku’s most famous works. It’s an open confession of an old recluse who traveled from being a refined courtesan to a street temptress, living a life full of love and pleasures.