sei shonagon

"I now had a vast quantity of paper to my disposal, and I set about filling the notebooks with odd facts, stories from the past, and all sorts of other things, often including the most trivial material. On the whole I concentrated on things that I found charming and splendid; my notes are also full of poems and observations on trees and plants, birds and insects. I was sure that when people saw my book they would say, ‘It’s even worse than I expected. Now one can really tell what she is like.’ After all, it is written entirely for my own amusement and I put things down exactly as they came to me. How could my casual jottings possibly bear comparison with the many impressive books that exist in our time? Readers have declared, however, that I can be proud of my work. This has surprised me greatly; yet I suppose it is not so strange that people would like it, for, as will be gathered from these notes of mine, I am the sort of person who approves of what others abhor and detest the things they like.
Whatever people may think of my book, I still regret that it ever came to light." (Extract taken from The Pillow Book of Sei Shõnagon, translated and edited by Ivan Moris, printed by Columbia University Press 1991 edition, pages 263-264)

Sei Shõnagon lived in Japan during the Heian period- just over a thousand years ago -and served as a lady-in-waiting to the Empress Sadako. She is today considered one of greatest writers of prose in the history of Japanese literature.

Her work includes diary entries, anecdotes, some character and nature descriptions, and personal musings. This work, along with others written by feminine writers during the Heian period gives valuable insights into the lives of upper-class Japanese women so many years ago.
Sei Shõnagon’s work reminds me somewhat of the modern day blog.

She would reflect on an event that took place on a particular day, and describe things that she has seen. She relates a discussion she had with some other ladies and poems received from and sent to a romantic interest. She tells of things that she likes and dislikes as well as things that are appropriate and inappropriate.

I find her writings quite enjoyable. It seems somewhat timeless, and for myself, not so much an insight into the daily lives of court ladies from almost a thousand years ago, but rather like opening someone’s online blog and taking a peep into the life of another.