The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter
The earliest works of Japanese literature include the "Kojiki" and "Nihon Shoki" chronicles and the "Man'yōshū" poetry anthology, all from the 8th century and written in Chinese characters. In the early Heian period, the system of phonograms known as "kana" (hiragana and katakana) was developed. "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter" is considered the oldest extant Japanese narrative. An account of court life is given in "The Pillow Book" by Sei Shōnagon, while "The Tale of Genji" by Murasaki Shikibu is often described as the world's first novel.