(16881704) Period in Japanese history characterized by a flourishing of the culture of the non-samurai city dweller.
The term is often used to cover a longer cultural period ( 0441; 16751725). Ostentatious displays of wealth were prohibited, but the affluent townspeople of Ky 014D; to, 014C; saka, and Edo (Tokyo) found means to display their wealth. Much time and money was spent in the pleasure quarters, districts where theatres, brothels, and teahouses were located, and this "floating (i.e., fleeting) world," or ukiyo, was commemorated in brightly colored woodblock prints (see ukiyo-e ). The Genroku period set the standards for an urban culture that continued throughout the Edo period. See also Edo culture .