The Pillow-Book of Sei Shonagon

"The Pillow-Book of Sei Shonagon" is a foundational masterpiece of classical Japanese literature, providing a vivid and sophisticated window into the imperial court of the Heian period. Composed by Sei Sh?nagon, a lady-in-waiting to Empress Teishi, the work is the definitive example of the zuihitsu (miscellany) genre, consisting of a diverse array of personal anecdotes, poetic observations, character sketches, and famous lists of "things that are distressing" or "things that are elegant."

Th...