Courtiers and Femininity in Heian Period of Japan

Of Courtiers and Femininity

Throughout history, different groups often rose and fell from prominence due to societal or political change. In the Heian Period of Japanese history (794-1185), peace and an emphasis on aesthetics combined to push the courtiers into the spotlight, so much so that they sometimes overshadow other characteristics of the period. The female attendants of the court were of particular importance; they formed literary salons with their mistresses and produced some of the period’s most renowned art, literature, and poetry. It is perhaps no surprise that the lives of the female courtiers differed from those of ordinary Japanese women at the time, but sometimes these differences were not always seen in a positive light. While differences between the life of female courtiers and that of ordinary Japanese women during the Heian Period fostered a sense of superiority in the court women, these very differences also led to their denunciation by the rest of society.

A primary source that examines the life of female courtiers in the Heian Period is undoubtedly The Pillow Book recorded by Sei Shonagon, the lady-in-waiting to Empress Consort Teishi during the 990s and early 11th century. Completed in 1002, the book is a compilation of observations and musings of Teishi’s literary salon. One passage in particular, titled “When I Make Myself Imagine,” details their collective opinion on the women who had never been a part of the imperial court. Although the title points to a single author who refers to herself as “I,” it is important to note that the original Japanese text bears no explicit personal pronouns, and the opinions expressed represent not only that of Sei Shonagon, but that of the entirety of her literary salon. Hence, it is reasonable to name all members of Teishi’s literary salon authors of The Pillow Book.

Although the passage “When I Make Myself Imagine” focuses on the authors imagining the lives of ordinary women outside of the court, it...