Kyokutei Bakin

A novelist from the late Edo period. His surname was Takizawa, and his given name was Okikuni, later changed to Toku. His pen names were Koyoku and Sakichi. His common names were Seiemon, Ritsuo, and Komin. His other names were Daiei Sanjin, Chosado Master, Handai Chinjin, Kenkon Issotei, Gendou Chinjin, Mino Kasa Gyoin, and Shinteno. His pseudonyms included Kairai Shi and Itchikusai Tatsuchiku. On June 9, 1761, he was born as Kurazo, the fifth son of Takizawa Unbei Okiyoshi and his wife Mon, servants of Matsudaira Nabegoro Minamoto Nobunari, a 1,000 koku vassal of the shogun Matsudaira clan, in the mansion of his master in Fukagawa, Edo. His elder brother Okiyoshi, who went by the name Rabun, loved haiku poetry. At the age of 10, he inherited the Takizawa family and served his master's grandson Yasogorō, but unable to bear his foolishness, he ran away from his master at the age of 14 and stayed with his elder brother and uncle, learning haiku poetry from his elder brother's teacher Koshigaya Gozan, cultivating an interest in literature. During that time, he moved from one hatamoto vassal to another, working as a servant and leading a dissolute life, but at the age of 23, he entered the private school of Yamamoto Soei, a government physician, with the aim of becoming a doctor. However, he preferred to listen to lectures on Confucianism by Kameda Hosai.

In 1790 (Kansei 2), at the age of 24, he decided to make a living as a comic writer and became an apprentice to Santo Kyoden. At the time, he was drawing on the Mibu Kyogen, which was gaining popularity at the Benzaiten Exhibition at Eidai-ji Temple in Fukagawa, and wrote the yellow-covered "Tsukaihata shite nibu kyogen" under the name Daiei Sanjin, which was published the following year. From then on, he wrote mainly yellow-covered stories, writing for Kyoden, and was employed for a time as the head clerk of Tsutaya Juzaburo, a leading publisher and book dealer at the time. At the age of 27, he married a woman three years older than him, O-Hyaku, the widow of Aida-san, the owner of the Iseya merchant house in Nakasakashita, Iida-machi. After the death of his mother-in-law, he gave up his business, changed his surname back to Takizawa, and by the time he was 30 in 1796, he already had two daughters, and the following year, his son Sohaku (Oketsugu) was born. In the same year, he wrote his first Yomihon novel, Takao Senjimon, but it was not yet well received, and he was in the process of preparing a full-length work.

In 1802 (Kyowa 2), at the age of 36, he traveled to Kyoto and Osaka, where he was greatly inspired by the writers of Kamigata, and later investigated the ruins and tombs of people he would feature in his works, thus honing his skills as a reader. He wrote an essay about his experiences at that time called "Saritsu Udan" (published in 1804), and in 1805 (Bunka 2), he made a contract with Kawachiya Tasuke in Osaka and published his first full-scale reader, "Geppyou Kien" (A Strange Encounter with Moon Ice). Due to the favorable reception, he established his own realm and wrote works such as "Wakae no Hato", "Sekigenkyo", "The Tale of the Four Heavenly Kings and Their Thieves", "The Tale of One Night in the Three Kingdoms", "The Tale of Encouraging Virtue in the Everlasting World", "The Snow at Hyouchuen", "The New Book of the Sumidagawa River Bairyu Shinsho", and "The Tale of Raigou Ajari, the Mysterious Mouse". He continued to write reading books up until 1808, including "The Tale of the Eight Dogs in the Rain," "The Tale of the Three Dragons in the Rain," "The Tale of the Three Dragons in the Rain," "The Tale of the Three Dragons in the Rain," "The Tale of the Three Dragons in the Rain," "The Tale of the Three Dragons in the Rain," "The Tale of the Three Dragons in the Rain," "The Tale of the Three Dragons in the Rain," "The Tale of the Three Dragons in the Rain," and "The Tale of the Three Dragons in the Rain." He won the reading book competition with Shikyoden thanks to this prolific work, which was based on almost tireless efforts, and in 1814 he finally began to publish "The Tale of the Eight Dogs in the Rain," which he had been working on for several years. This long novel took 28 years to complete.

Between 1809 (Bunka 6) and 1813, he wrote many works, including "Mukashigatari Shichayakura," "The Tale of Musoubei and the Butterfly," "Tokonatsu Zoushi," "Yumeawase Nanka Kouki," "Aoto Fujitsuna Moryoan," "Itozakurashunchokien," and "Sarasara Godan." He wrote works such as "Ibei Kyodan" and essays such as "Enseki Zasshi," "Nimaze no Ki," "Gendou Hogen," and "Toen Shosetsu," in which he questioned the results of academic research, but his academic interests were also displayed in his interactions with Yashiro Hirokata and Yamazaki Yoshinari, members of the Tanki-kai and Toen-kai groups. In parallel with "Hakkenden," he also wrote long historical works such as "A Record of a Journey Through the Islands of the Emperor," "A Record of Beautiful Young Men in the Early Modern Era," and "The Tale of the Amazing Heroes: The Beginning of the Story," but due to his worsening eye disease from around 1839 (Tenpo 10) and other reasons, he discontinued these works and only completed "Hakkenden" with the help of Sohaku's wife Omichi, who dedicatedly wrote on his behalf. During this time, he faced many hardships, including Sohaku's death in 1835, conflicts with Omichi, who suspected a relationship between Omichi and Bakin, blindness, and financial difficulties, but he overcame them with his indomitable willpower. He also wrote many other collections, such as "Keisei Suikoden" and "Shinpen Jin Ping Mei", which helped him in terms of income rather than reading books. He also left behind a huge diary, letters to his devoted readers such as Tonomura Josai and Ozu Keisou, and a family memoir, "Agahotoke no Ki", and his meticulousness and extraordinary energy are astonishing.

He passed away on November 6, 1858, at the age of 82, and his grave is currently located at his family temple, Shinkoji Temple, in Myogadani, Koishikawa (Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo). His posthumous Buddhist name was Sakusakudo Inyo Minogasa Koji. His reading books were extremely popular from the end of the Edo period through to the Meiji era, and although Shoyo Tsubouchi criticized "Hakkenden" in his book "The Essence of Novels" in order to modernize novels, they maintained a strong popularity until the 1890s, and their significance in paving the way for modern writers and their works in various aspects such as novel writing methods, publishing, criticism, and literary debate is enormous.

[Takeshi Tokuda]

"Takizawa Bakin" by Aso Isoji (1959, Yoshikawa Kobunkan)" ▽ "Bakin Diaries" edited by Terunobu Yasutaka and others (1973, Chuokoron-Shinsha)" ▽ "The Complete Works of Mayama Seika 17: Essays on Takizawa Bakin" (1975, Kodansha)" ▽ "Illustrated Japanese Classics 19: Kyokutei Bakin" edited by Mizuno Minoru and others (1980, Shueisha)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸後期の小説家。姓は滝沢、名は興邦(おきくに)、のち解(とく)と改める。字(あざな)は子翼、瑣吉(さきち)。通称は清右衛門、笠翁(りつおう)、篁民(こうみん)。別号は大栄山人(だいえいさんじん)、著作堂(ちょさどう)主人、飯台陳人、乾坤(けんこん)一草亭、玄洞陳人、蓑笠漁隠(さりつぎょいん)、信天翁(しんてんおう)など。変名に傀儡子(かいらいし)、一竹斎達竹など。明和(めいわ)4年6月9日、1000石取の旗本松平鍋五郎(なべごろう)源信成(のぶなり)の用人滝沢運兵衛興義(おきよし)と妻門(もん)の五男倉蔵(くらぞう)として江戸・深川の主家の邸内に生まれる。長兄興旨は羅文(らぶん)と号して俳諧(はいかい)を好んだ。10歳にして滝沢家を継ぎ、主君の孫八十五郎に仕えたが、その暗愚に耐えかね、14歳で主家を出奔、長兄や叔父のもとにいて、長兄の師越谷吾山(こしがやござん)に俳諧を学び、文学趣味を涵養(かんよう)した。その間、旗本の間を転々と渡り奉公をし、放蕩(ほうとう)の生活を送ったが、23歳のとき官医山本宗英の塾に入って医を志す。だが、むしろ亀田鵬斎(ほうさい)の儒学の講説を聞くほうを好んだという。

　1790年（寛政2）24歳の彼は戯作(げさく)で身をたてることを決意し、山東京伝に弟子入りしたが、おりから深川永代寺の弁財天開帳の境内で評判をとっていた壬生(みぶ)狂言に取材して、黄表紙『尺用二分狂言(つかいはたしてにぶきょうげん)』を大栄山人の名で著し、翌年に刊行した。それより京伝の代作などをして、もっぱら黄表紙を著し、一時、当時一流の版元書肆(しょし)蔦屋重三郎(つたやじゅうざぶろう)の番頭に雇われたりした。27歳、元飯田町中坂下の商家伊勢屋(いせや)の寡婦会田(あいだ)氏のお百(ひゃく)という3歳年上の女に婿入りした。姑(しゅうとめ)の死後には商売をやめ、姓を滝沢氏に復し、1796年30歳のころにはすでに2女をもち、翌年には男子宗伯(そうはく)（興継）も生まれた。同年には読本(よみほん)の処女作『高尾船字文(たかおせんじもん)』を著したが、まだ評判をよばず、長編への準備期間中であった。

　1802年（享和2）36歳の彼は京坂に旅行したが、上方(かみがた)の文人たちに触れて大いに刺激を受け、のちに作品に登場させる人物の遺跡や墳墓を実地踏査し、読本作者としての力を養った。このときの経験を記した随筆が『蓑笠雨談(さりつうだん)』（1804刊）であり、大坂の河内屋(かわちや)太助と契約して1805年（文化2）に本格的な読本の初作として刊行した作品が『月氷奇縁(げっぴょうきえん)』であった。その好評により、おのが境地を確立した彼は、『稚枝鳩(わかえのはと)』『石言遺響(せきげんいきょう)』『四天王剿盗異録(してんのうしょうとういろく)』『三国一夜(さんごくいちや)物語』『勧善常世(かんぜんつねよ)物語』『標注園(その)の雪』『隅田川梅柳新書(すみだがわばいりゅうしんしょ)』『頼豪阿闍梨怪鼠伝(らいごうあじゃりかいそでん)』『雲妙間雨夜月(くものたえまあまよのつき)』『松浦佐用姫石魂録(まつらさよひめせきこんろく)』『旬殿実々記(じゅんでんじつじつき)』など、1808年に至るまで続々と読本を著したが、なかでもとくに好評であったのは『三七全伝南柯夢(さんしちぜんでんなんかのゆめ)』（1808刊）と長編『椿説弓張月(ちんせつゆみはりづき)』であった。不眠不休ともいえる努力に基づいたこの多作によって、彼は師京伝との読本制作の競争に勝った形になったが、1814年にはいよいよ数年来温めていた『南総里見八犬伝(なんそうさとみはっけんでん)』を世に送り始め、この大長編は28年間かけて完成されることになる。

　1809年（文化6）から1813年の間には、『昔語質屋庫(むかしがたりしちやくら)』『夢想兵衛蝴蝶(むそうびょうえこちょう)物語』『常夏草紙(とこなつぞうし)』『占夢南柯後記(ゆめあわせなんかこうき)』『青砥藤綱摸稜案(あおとふじつなもりょうあん)』『糸桜春蝶奇縁(いとざくらしゅんちょうきえん)』『皿皿郷談(べいべいきょうだん)』などが著され、また随筆『燕石襍誌(えんせきざっし)』『烹雑之記(にまぜのき)』『玄同放言(げんどうほうげん)』『兎園小説(とえんしょうせつ)』などに学問考証の成果を問うこともあったが、彼の学芸趣味は耽奇(たんき)会、兎園会における屋代弘賢(やしろひろかた)、山崎美成らとの交流にも発揮された。『八犬伝』と並行して、『朝夷巡島記(あさひなしまめぐりのき)』『近世説美少年録(きんせせつびしょうねんろく)』『開巻驚奇侠客伝(かいかんきょうききょうかくでん)』などの長編歴史物も書かれたが、1839年（天保10）ごろからの眼疾の悪化その他の理由によって、それらは中絶され、『八犬伝』のみが宗伯の嫁おみちの献身的な代筆などの協力によって完成された。その間には1835年の宗伯の死、おみちと馬琴の仲を邪推するお百との葛藤(かっとう)、失明、生活苦など、さまざまな困難が彼を襲ったが、不撓(ふとう)不屈の気力でそれらを切り抜けた結果であった。ほかに『傾城水滸伝(けいせいすいこでん)』『新編金瓶梅(きんぺいばい)』などの多くの合巻(ごうかん)を著したが、それらは読本よりも収入の点で彼を助けた。また膨大な日記、殿村篠斎(とのむらじょうさい)、小津桂窓(おづけいそう)ら彼の愛読者への書簡と家記『吾仏(あがほとけ)の記』を残し、その几帳面(きちょうめん)さと精力絶倫の努力ぶりには人を驚かしめるものがある。

　嘉永(かえい)元年11月6日に82歳で永眠し、墓所は現に小石川・茗荷谷(みょうがだに)（東京都文京区）の菩提寺(ぼだいじ)深光寺に存する。法名は著作堂隠誉蓑笠居士。その読本は幕末から明治にかけて大人気を博し、坪内逍遙(しょうよう)が『小説神髄』で小説近代化のために『八犬伝』を批判したりしたが、明治30年代まで根強い人気を保ち、小説の方法、出版、批評、文学論争などのさまざまな点において、近代の作家と作品のあり方を準備した意義には甚だ大きいものがある。

［徳田　武］

『麻生磯次著『滝沢馬琴』（1959・吉川弘文館）』▽『暉峻康隆他編『馬琴日記』（1973・中央公論社）』▽『『真山青果全集17　随筆滝沢馬琴』（1975・講談社）』▽『水野稔他編『図説日本の古典19　曲亭馬琴』（1980・集英社）』

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