Sei Shōnagon
As with the novel, essays existed in Japan several centuries before they developed in Europe with a genre of essays known as "zuihitsu"—loosely connected essays and fragmented ideas. Zuihitsu have existed since almost the beginnings of Japanese literature. Many of the most noted early works of Japanese literature are in this genre. Notable examples include "The Pillow Book" (c. 1000), by court lady Sei Shōnagon, and "Tsurezuregusa" (1330), by particularly renowned Japanese Buddhist monk Yoshida Kenkō. Kenkō described his short writings similarly to Montaigne, referring to them as "nonsensical thoughts" written in "idle hours". Another noteworthy difference from Europe is that women have traditionally written in Japan, though the more formal, Chinese-influenced writings of male writers were more prized at the time.