is a type of Japanese book from the Edo period (1603–1867). Unlike other Japanese books of the periods, such as kusazōshi, they had few illustrations, and the emphasis was on the text. In storylines, Buddhist ethics such as karma are often preached, and characters with supernatural powers and imaginary creatures are often depicted. From the end of the 16th century to the 18th century, Chinese novels such as Water Margin were translated and published in Japan. The mutual influence of Chinese novel styles, Japanese traditional war chronicles gunki monogatari, Buddhist tales, and Jitsurokumono based on social incidents promoted the stylization of yomihon and, in 1749, Tsuga Teishō published Hanabusasōshi establishing the style of yomihon. Takebe Ayatari, and Okajima Kanzan were also instrumental in developing the yomihon. Another early pioneer of the yomihon was Ueda Akinari, with his Ugetsu Monogatari and Harusame Monogatari. Kyokutei Bakin wrote the extremely popular fantasy/historical romance Nansō Satomi Hakkenden, in addition to other yomihon. Santō Kyōden wrote yomihon mostly set in the pleasure quarters until the Kansei Edicts banned such works. History Overview Yomihon as a genre was marked by its use of text heavy format, that often-left little room for illustrations. It was written in a Kanji-laden style, that frequently borrowed from Chinese elements. This meant that only the most educated readers of the Edo period would be able to read most Yomihon, which meant that Yomihon was not written for profit, but instead as an art. Most Yomihon were not original works, but instead adapted from Chinese stories, which can be argued that Yomihon are just Chinese mythology with a Japanese styling done. Since in the Edo period Chinese culture was viewed in high regard, this made Yomihon popular among the higher classes to seem more sophisticated. In addition, to escape censorship, Yomihon was written as historical fiction to avoid using real people, while still containing commentary about the state of Japan. This often included criticisms of government, popular social practices and the social hierarchy of Edo Period Japan. Early Yomihon The precursors to the Edo-style Yomihon writing are often considered to be Ueda Akinari and Takebe Ayatari. Ayatari is considered to be the father of Edo-style Yomihon, with his first book Nishiyome Monogatari, which was cast in a historical setting, setting the trend of historical fiction writing. At around the same time, Akinari published Ugetsu Monogatari, and thought of himself to be rivals