Ninjōbon


The ninjōbon is a pre-modern Japanese literary genre. Novels focused on young love and were generally aimed to attract female readers. It is a subgenre of gesaku and follows upon the earlier sharebon and kokkeibon genres.

Developments

The ninjōbon genre begins around 1819 with Akegarasu Nochi no Masayume by Ryūtei Rijō and Seidan Mine Hatsuhana by Jippensha Ikku as early examples of the genre.
The genre reached its peak in the 1830s. Much of this was due to works of Tamenaga Shunsui beginning with Shunshoku Umegoyomi in 1832. This was followed by a number of books in the Umegoyomi series.
However, the popularity of the genre came to abrupt end in 1842 with the introduction of the Tenpō reforms. Led by Mizuno Tadakuni, Tamenaga was manacled for 50 days, ninjōbon were confiscated and burned, and fewer books in the genre were published. The restrictions are lessened after Mizuno retires.
Ninjōbon continued to be published until the early Meiji period.

Major works