In the late Meiji period, when Engeki kairyo undo (theatrical performance improvement movement) was influential, new works were written by literary people who pursued kabuki plays suitable for modern society instead of those with traditional preposterous stories.
演劇改良運動の影響を受けた明治時代の後期になって、従来の荒唐無稽な筋書きではなく、近代社会にふさわしい歌舞伎劇を志す文学者が新たな作品を書くようになった。