The Pillow Book

by Sei Shōnagon

The Pillow Book (枕草子, Makura no Sōshi) is a book of observations and musings recorded by Sei Shōnagon during her time as court lady to the Empress Consort Fujiwara no Teishi during the 990s and early 1000s in the Heian period of Japan. The book was completed in the year 1002. The work is a collection of essays, anecdotes, poems, and descriptive passages that have little connection to one another, except that they express ideas and whims of Shōnagon, spurred by moments in her daily life. Shōnagon meant her writing in The Pillow Book to be private, but part of it was accidentally revealed to the court during her life: "[S]he inadvertently left it [her writing] on a cushion she put out for a visiting guest, who eagerly carried it off despite her pleas." She wrote The Pillow Book for her own enjoyment; it seemed to be a way for her to express thoughts and feelings that she was not allowed to state publicly due to her lower status in the court.

Summary: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Genre:

Zuihitsu

Original language:

Early Middle Japanese