Sei Shonagon (and The Pillow Book)

by : Robin Cook (H01)


Sei Shonagon was a Japanese philosopher who lived during the Heian period from 966 to 1025. Her mother was the poet Kiyohara Motosuke. Her original name was Kiyohara Shonagon, however, Sei is the shorthand version of Kiyohara (Sei being the alternate reading for the kanji Kiyo 清). She was a lady of the imperial court for about 10 years and had a close relationship with Empress Teishi.

During her time as a gentlewoman of the court, Sei Shonagon wrote her famous work The Pillow Book (in Japanese: Makura no soshi). This “book” was more like a journal or diary, each section does not necessarily connect fluidly and recounts various things Sei Shonagon sees, feels, or thinks at various times during her time in the imperial court. The Pillow Book is the only real record of Sei Shonagon that exists and is therefore the only source for discovering her philosophy. In her book, she first discusses the different seasons and the significance/ beauty of each. She spends much time recognizing the beauty in nature. A major focus of her writing is about finding a beauty in all things. She does, however, contradict this thought occasionally when she complains about things like snow melting being ugly and a cat sleeping in the sun as unsightly.

As her writing continues, Sei Shonagon then begins discussing various interactions between people she sees or encounters. She recounts what she sees quite vividly and even explains how the people she was seeing felt. Beauty is even found in the everyday occurrences that she observes from carriages passing down the road to conversation between townsfolk. She admires all the work the people of the town put into festivities and everyday work. The festivals hold a special place in her heart which is evident of how much admiration she gives them as they occur.

Due to her being a gentlewoman, she makes many notes about other nobles and her thoughts of them. For instance, at one point she writes about a Steward and how inferior his housing is for her and her empress and complains about his gate being too small. In her entry about the Empress’s dog it is made evident that Sei Shonagon believes in reincarnation. She makes a comment to the Empress wondering what her dog would be reborn as next. Sei Shonagon often makes note of what seems unimportant in courtly encounters such as always saying that the ladies of the court burst out into laughter about just about everything that happens even if there is a man watching them as they sleep.

For the most part, Sei Shonagon writes of the things she admires like the seasons and how pretty people can be when they are made up as well as her criticisms of other court members and things she dislikes. It also seems as though each entry of hers ends in such a way that suggests despite what good or bad that occasion may have done, life continues to the next good or bad thing.





Quiz Questions:

1. During what period was Sei Shonagon alive? 
2. How many years did she serve in the imperial court? 
3. What book did Sei Shonagon write? 
4. What did she often find beauty in? 
5. What feeling do most of Sei Shonagon’s entries leave the reader with? 

Discussion Questions

• Can beauty always be found in nature? If not, is there something you can always find beauty in? 

• Do you think it is fair to place judgement upon people based on one occasion or conversation? Why or why not? 

• Does good and bad play a large role in life/society today?