noun
amorous anecdote; risqué short story
A short, often humorous tale with an erotic or romantic theme. The term is somewhat literary and may appear in discussions of traditional storytelling or collections of witty, love-related anecdotes.
彼は宴席で艶笑小話を披露して、場を和ませた。
He lightened the mood at the banquet by telling an amorous anecdote.
この本は江戸時代の艶笑小話を集めたものである。
This book is a collection of risqué short stories from the Edo period.
Compound of 艶笑 (えんしょう, 'amorous laughter' or 'risqué humor') and 小話 (こばなし, 'short story' or 'anecdote'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is used to describe a genre of short, witty, love-related tales.