Chikamatsu Monzaemon (1653-1725), whose real name was Sugimori Nobumori, was born into a family of Japanese samurai. He was one of his country’s most important dramatists and the first of any renown not to perform in his own plays. He published his first haiku at the age of about eighteen, wrote for bunraku (puppet theatre) for many years, and also for kabuki. His first puppet play, which was probably co-authored, was The Soga successors. He was inspired by love, the passions of the human heart, and suicide. At some point he suddenly stopped writing kabuki plays, after which the characters that he created were more realistic. He specialised in historical romances and domestic tragedies, while his most important work was The battles of Coxinga, which became a model for later dramatists, influencing the course of Japanese theatre. Chikamatsu’s surviving works number 130.

 

A short list of his plays:
The love suicides at Sonezaki, The battles of Coxinga, The almanac of love, The love suicides at Amijima.

 

War is a game of Go in which the stones are scattered.(The battles of Coxinga)

 

For three years I’ve loved you, delighted in you, desired you, and adored you; but today my feet will say my only farewell. (The love suicides at Amijima.)