Born at Fukagawa in Edo into a samurai family serving a shogunate retainer. His real name was Takizawa Okikuni.
He called on the popular writer Santō Kyōden and learned writing as a kind of pupil.
He married into a clog-making family and kept writing while running the business.
He published Chinsetsu Yumiharizuki, a yomihon on the exploits of Minamoto no Tametomo, illustrated by Katsushika Hokusai—a great hit.
Publication began of Nansō Satomi Hakkenden, an epic of eight warriors, each bearing one of eight jewels.
His promising son Sōhaku died, plunging him into grief.
Around this time he lost his sight, but he taught his daughter-in-law Michi to write and continued by dictating to her.
After twenty-eight years he finished all 98 volumes of the Hakkenden.
He died in Edo, said to be among Japan's first professional writers living on manuscript fees.
Katsushika HokusaiUeda AkinariTsutaya JūzaburōSantō Kyōden
Hanaoka SeishūSantō KyōdenKobayashi IssaJippensha IkkuTakadaya KaheiSatō IssaiHirata AtsutaneZusho Hirosato
People of the Edo period ・ People by period
Based on facts found in textbooks and biographies. Uncertain points are marked as such.