Tales of Ise is referenced throughout early Japanese literature. If you hadn’t read it, you won’t catch some of the meaning Sei Shonagon, Lady Nijo, Murasaki Shikibu, and other writers make through their references. Tales of Ise is a collection of 209 short stories and anecdotes written and collected somewhere between 850 CE and 950 CE….
Sei Shonagon’s Pillow Book
Sei Shonagon’s Pillow Book offers a look at the Imperial court from around 993 to the end of 1000, when she served as a lady-in-waiting for Empress Teishi. We don’t know Sei Shonagon’s true name. The name passed down to us combines the first character (Sei) of her clan name, Kiyowara, and her role at…
Horimiya: Surprisingly Subtle
Horimiya appears to be a standard high-school rom-com, but it quickly shows how it is more. The series focuses on how people have hidden sides to their personalities that slowly reveal to those closest to them. The main characters Hori and Miyamura develop a relationship while discovering these layers. Hori is a popular, head of…
“Don’t You Feel Lonely?”
Since my girlfriend of 4 years broke up with me over a year ago, people keep asking me if I am lonely. Blunt question! Lately, there seems to be an obsession with loneliness. News reports it as an epidemic. Since the pandemic started, doctors and other officials have fretted over loneliness as a mental health…
The Fox Brothers and Old Tanuki’s Trick Chapter 4
That evening the fox brothers approached the den of Old Tanuki. Kitsu tottered on his hind legs and fumbled with the small paper lantern they used to light their way. Mitsu balanced the tray with fewer problems. He was getting used to walking on his hind legs. No crows greeted them this time. At least,…
The Confessions of Lady Nijo
The Confessions of Lady Nijo is an example of Japan’s traditional women’s literature: the diary. Her father was the head of the Minamoto clan: Major Counselor Masatada, who served the Emperor from 1228-1272. Her mother was the niece of an Honorary Empress. Nijo herself was a lady-in-waiting and the concubine to the Retired Emperor Go-Fukakusa…