In late Edo period, yomihon, a type of literature with many bizarre elements that was born in west Japan, became popular in Edo. The most popular yomihon is "Nansō Satomi Hakken-den" by Bakin. It was the longest novel in the period prior to the modern era and took 28 years to complete.

Nansō Satomi Hakken Den is a novel by Kyokutei Bakin (1767-1848). It is based on history of Bōsō Satomi who was based in Awa (Chiba prefecture) in the Sengoku period. The first 5 books were published in 1814 (Bunka 11). In 1842 (Tempō 13), all 106 books were completed.
The author Bakin is considered as the first professional writer who made his living from the manuscript fee only. We can tell that "Hakken Den" was very successful, as it was chosen as a kabuki theme when the books were published.
While writing "Hakken Den", Bakin lost his eyesight. It is said that he taught his daughter-in-law how to write and completed the novel through dictation. Bakin also invented the idea of illustrations, which were drawn by top-class artists including Yanagawa Shigenobu and Keisai Eisen and received good reputation.