Genroku

Genroku was a Japanese era name used from 1688 to 1704, during the Edo period. The period is associated with flourishing urban culture and the arts under Tokugawa rule.

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Genroku culture: The urban arts and popular culture that flourished in Japan during the Genroku era. This cultural label captures the era’s enduring historical reputation.
Tokugawa Tsunayoshi: The fifth shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate, ruling Japan from 1680 to 1709. His shogunate governed Japan throughout the Genroku era.
Japanese era name: A calendar designation in Japan that marks a period associated with an emperor’s reign or a change of reign name. Genroku is one entry in this system of named years.
Genroku Akō incident: The 1701 attack by Asano Naganori on Kira Yoshinaka at Edo Castle, followed by the vendetta of the Forty-seven rōnin. The incident became one of the era’s most famous tests of samurai loyalty and authority.
Chōnin: The townspeople of early modern Japan, especially merchants and artisans in castle towns. Their wealth and tastes helped shape Genroku’s urban cultural life.
Hishikawa Moronobu: A Japanese painter and printmaker associated with the emergence of ukiyo-e as a distinct genre. His work helped establish the visual culture that Genroku audiences encountered.
Emperor Higashiyama: The 113th emperor of Japan, whose reign lasted from 1687 to 1709. The Genroku era began during his reign.
Forty-seven rōnin: The retainers of Asano Naganori who avenged his death by killing Kira Yoshinaka in 1703. Their revenge followed the Akō incident and became a lasting Genroku-era story.
Kabuki: A Japanese theatrical form combining acting, dance, music, and elaborate staging. Kabuki became a major popular entertainment in Genroku-era cities.
Chikamatsu Monzaemon: A Japanese playwright known for kabuki plays and puppet theater dramas, including jōruri. His plays became defining works of Genroku-era popular theater.