The Tale of Genji is the most famous fictional work set during the Heian period. The book might also have been intended to serve as a catalogue of images or topics for poets. The Pillow Book was compiled after Teishi gifted Sei Shōnagon a bundle of paper (“pillow book” probably refers to a diary kept at one’s bedside), perhaps wanting Sei to capture the flavor of court culture. Teishi had three children and died in childbirth while still in her early twenties. After Empress Teishi’s father died in 995, her uncle rose to prominence in court, and during the last few years of Teishi’s life, she was forced to reign as co-empress with her uncle’s daughter. One’s poetic compositions (and their artful display on paper) were thought to express a great deal about one’s aesthetic sensibility and one’s character.

Empress Teishi’s ladies-in-waiting were expected to exhibit a working knowledge of classic Japanese poetry, such as the collection called the Kokinshu-both being able to recite such poems from memory and to incorporate allusions to them into their own poetic compositions. Teishi reigned over a court which devoted much time to literary pursuits, as The Pillow Book amply illustrates. The major events of Sei Shōnagon’s life revolved around her service to Empress Teishi (977–1000), who was consort to Emperor Ichijo and daughter of his powerful regent, Fujiwara Michitaka.

Chinese was the language of business, education, and high culture therefore, it was regarded as a language for men, though Sei was familiar with it. The Heian period was marked by peace and prosperity, as well as the influence and absorption of Chinese culture in Japan. The Japanese imperial court was at its height during these centuries. The Pillow Book was written during Japan’s Heian period, which spanned the years between 7.

Sei shōnagon the pillow book