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In the Genroku period, heart and hurt are behind the peace. My name is Chikamatsu Monzaemon, the author of "Sonezaki Shinju"(The lover's suicide in Sonezaki), "Shinju Ten no Amishima" (The lover's suicide in Ten no Amishima), and "Onna goroshi abura jigoku" (Hell of oil that kills a woman). People say that I contributed to the prosperity of Genroku Kabuki by writing dramas whose scenes were set in Osaka. On the other hand, there were a lot of Kabuki theatres in Edo which performed my dramas.
The content and style of my work are thought to be representative of 'Katari mono'(story telling type dramas), the main genealogy of Japanese public entertainment. By the way, Nanboku, who wrote "Toukaido Yotsuya Kaidan" and "Kamikakete Santo Taisetsu", was the harbinger of the new category of thrillers and quick changes. He was good at writing 'Kizewa mono', plays that reflected social conditions of the day.
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