The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon: The Diary of a Courtesan in Tenth Century Japan

Take a firsthand journey into a time, society and world full of intrigue.

In the tenth century, Japan stood physically and culturally isolated from the rest of the world. Sei Shonagon—a young courtesan of the Heian period—kept a diary, which provides a highly personal account of the intrigues, dalliances, quirks, and habits of Japan's late tenth-century elite.

She was a contemporary and acquaintance of the well-known courtesan Murasaki Shikibu, author of the Japanese masterpiece The Tale of...