is a form of Japanese poetry using

Chinese characters Chinese characters () are logograms developed for the writing of Chinese. In addition, they have been adapted to write other East Asian languages, and remain a key component of the Japanese writing system where they are known as ''kanji' ...

which was popular around 1770–1800. ''Kyōshi'' avoids typical poetic forms, and often includes humorous expressions and puns on alternate readings or meanings of the same characters. Mostly written by low-ranking samurai and ''

chōnin was a social class that emerged in Japan during the early years of the Tokugawa period. In the social hierarchy, it was considered subordinate to the samurai warrior class. Social Class The ''chōnin'' emerged in ''joka-machi'' or castle ...

'' (townspeople), the form is closely related to ''

kyōka ''Kyōka'' (, "wild" or "mad poetry") is a popular, parodic subgenre of the tanka form of Japanese poetry with a metre of 5-7-5-7-7. The form flourished during the Edo period (17th–18th centuries) and reached its zenith during the Tenmei era ...

'' (comic waka), and to '' kyōbun'', a form of prose writing which also uses only Chinese characters. Ōta Nanpo is the best-known of ''kyōshi'' poets; the form was very popular for a short time, but declined quickly and disappeared after the turn of the 19th century.

References

*Frederic, Louis (2002). "Japan Encyclopedia." Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. Japanese poetry {{Japan-lit-stub