The Pillow Book

In Chapters 50-52, Shonagon describes the appropriate appearances for carriage runners, escort guards, page boys, and ox handlers. All of the descriptions focus in detail on physical builds and face structures.

Shonagon describes the nightly ritual of the roll call of courtiers. The list of names can induce a “sudden clutch of the heart” for a woman who hears the name of a man who is “dear to her,” or a grip of sadness “when it’s the name of a man who no longer bothers even to let her know he exists” (53). The men are unseen, but the women judge their attractiveness based on the sound of their voices.

The following chapters enumerate more matters of taste on which Shonagon provides her opinions. She disapproves of young men who call their lovers’ names in a way that reveals their intimacy. She explains the desirable plumpness for infants and children.

In Chapters 58 and 59, Shonagon lists nearby waterfalls and rivers.

Shonagon begins Chapter 60 with a wish that male lovers would not waste time at dawn fussing over their clothing. She describes what it would mean for a lover’s departure to be “tasteful” (55).

Chapters 61-63 list bridges, villages, and plants.