Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan The Sarashina Diary, The Diary of Murasaki Shikibu, The Diary of Izumi Shikibu by Various

Because women in ancient Japan enjoyed high status, they were well-educated and reasonably independent. They also produced much of the country’s best literature. Three of these amazing ladies wrote these diaries, among them the highly skilled writer Murasaki Shikibu. A lady-in-waiting to the Japanese Empress, she became very adept at observing the daily activities and attitudes of the upper classes. This is scarcely the place to trace the history of Japanese literature, but fully to understand these charming “Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan,” it is necessary to know a little of the world they lived in, to be able to feel their atmosphere and recognize their allusions.