Kenkaku Shōbai (剣客商売, Kenkaku Shōbai) is a series of popular historical novels written by Shōtarō Ikenami and one of the representative novels of Ikenami along with Onihei Hankachō and Shikakenin Fujieda Baian. The stories were originally serialized in the monthly magazine Shōsetsu Shinchō between 1972 and 1989. Sixteen full-length novels were published from Shinchosha between 1973 and 1989. Kenkaku Shōbai was also adapted into TV programs and manga series. Source: Wikipedia (en)