Memoirs of an Opium Eater

Memoirs of an Opium Eater was written by Shiba Shonagon, a woman who lived in Ryoko Owari Toshi. The book painted a vivid picture of life in the city, giving a glimpse of the Floating World in which she lived and died. It was published anonymously after Shonagon's death, and the editor replaced the real names of the characters for knicknames. Despite it many readers recognized their own in the pages, as many friends, public people, or even family members. It became a great scandal in the city, and several copies of the intact edition existed.