The Life of an Amorous Woman
The Life of an Amorous Woman (好色一代女, Kōshoku Ichidai Onna) is a novel depicting the "floating world" of Edo period Japan, written by Ihara Saikaku and published in 1686.[1]
Plot summary
A man of the world who lives in the capital city Kyoto travels to Saga, a suburban district of Kyoto, with some friends. They meet an old woman who lives in a grass hut and listen to the story of her life experiences. She was born as the daughter of a family of court nobles, but lost her privileged status and fell through the ranks of both the nobility and the pleasure quarters; first as the mistress of a daimyō, then as a courtesan, and then finally as a common streetwalker. At each stage, the woman tried to free herself from the situations she found herself in, but was trapped by her own nature causing her to fail.
Adaptation
The Kenji Mizoguchi film Life of Oharu is based upon this novel.[1]