Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan

Three diaries kept by female members of the Japanese court during the Heian Period (the eleventh century A.D.) are collected together as “Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan.” Novels and poems by Sugawara no Takasue no Musume, Murasaki Shikibu, and Izumi Shikibu are well-known. The diaries offer a window into the daily activities of the court, blending starkness, strength, and nuance in their portrayals.