Japan in the tenth century stood physically and culturally isolated from the rest of the world. In her diary, Sei Shonagon, a young courtesan of the Heian period, she provides a highly personal account of the intrigues, dalliances, quirks, and habits of Japan's late tenth-century elite. She was a contemporary and acquaintance of the well-known courtesan Murasaki Shikibu, author of the Japanese masterpiece The Tale of Genji. A perfect companion piece, The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon brings an added dimension to Murasaki's timeless and seminal work and further illuminates Japanese court life in all its ritualistic glory.

Through his elegant and readable abridged translation, scholar Arthur Waley perfectly conveys Sei Shonagon's distinct girlish temperament as well as her quirky personality. In a place and time where poetry was as important as knowledge and beauty was highly revered, Sei Shonagon's private writings offer a charming and intimate glimpse into a world of innocence and pale beauty. A new introduction by the revered Japanese literature scholar Dennis Washburn provides historical insight into Sei Shonagon's world and Waley's translation.