These published volumes record the sandai-banashi (impromptu Rakugo stories on three themes provided by the audience) performances by members of the Suikyō-ren and Kyōshō-ren groups: leading exponents of the sandai-banashi form. The emblems of the two groups can be found on the covers and preface of the books. They were published at the end of the Edo Period, the golden age of sandai-banashi performances.

The editor Harunoya Ikuhisa owned a large store in Ōdenmachō (present-day Tokyo Chuo Ward), and was a prominent member of the Suikyō-ren and Kyōshō-ren groups, involved in editing several collections of sandai-banashi.
The frontispiece features an illustration of a sandai-banashi performance. The narrator on the central stage is surrounded by an audience laughing out loud in enjoyment. Audience members can also be seen leisurely sipping tea and chatting to their neighbors as they listen to the performance. In this golden age of Rakugo every town had a yose theater, and nearby residents could easily stroll over to see a performance. In this respect, Rakugo was much more accessible than Kabuki, for which they would have to set aside a whole day.