Chikamatsu Monzaemon is considered the greatest kabuki playwright in Japanese history even though he wrote mostly bunraku plays in his career. He was born as Sugimori Nobumori to a samurai family. His plays were mainly either historical romances (jidaimono) or domestic tragedies (sewamono). A common theme in his plays was the conflict between personal desires and the Confucian sense of loyalty and duty. He was so impactful that when he switched back to bunraku from kabuki, new kabuki plans began to mimic elements of bunraku to try to win him back. His most famous kabuki play was called The Courtesan on Buddha Plain (translated from Japanese).