page_title: Japanese literature
section_title: Heian literature (794–1185)
hierarchical_section_title: Japanese literature / History / Heian literature (794–1185)
caption_attribution_description: English: Copy of 17th-century portrait of Murasaki Shikibu, wearing the jūnihitoe, by Tosa Mitsuoki (1617–1691) Français&#160;: Copie de Tosa Mitsuoki (1617–1691). Portrait de Murasaki Shikibu, portant un jūnihitoe. Peinture, XVIIe siècle. Collection de la société Ishiyama. On rapporte que la poétesse Murasaki Shikibu s'étant retirée pour la prière, une nuit d'août, fut inspirée par le reflet de la pleine lune sur la surface du lac. C'est ainsi qu'elle se mit à écrire le Dit du Gengi.
context_page_description: Early works of Japanese literature were heavily influenced by cultural contact with China and Chinese literature, and were often written in Classical Chinese. Indian literature also had an influence through the spread of Buddhism in Japan. Eventually, Japanese literature developed into a separate style, although the influence of Chinese literature and Classical Chinese remained. Following Japan's reopening of its ports to Western trading and diplomacy in the 19th century, Western literature has influenced the development of modern Japanese writers, while they have in turn been more recognized outside Japan, with two Nobel Prizes so far, as of 2020.
context_section_description: The Heian period has been referred to as the golden era of art and literature in Japan. During this era, literature became centered on a cultural elite of nobility and monks. The imperial court particularly patronized the poets, most of whom were courtiers or ladies-in-waiting. Reflecting the aristocratic atmosphere, the poetry was elegant and sophisticated and expressed emotions in a rhetorical style. Editing the resulting anthologies of poetry soon became a national pastime. The iroha poem, now one of two standard orderings for the Japanese syllabary, was also developed during the early Heian period.
  The Tale of Genji (Genji Monogatari), written in the early 11th century by a woman named Murasaki Shikibu, is considered the pre-eminent novel of Heian fiction. Other important writings of this period include the Kokin Wakashū (905), a waka-poetry anthology, and The Pillow Book (Makura no Sōshi) (990s). The Pillow Book was written by Sei Shōnagon, Murasaki Shikibu's contemporary and rival, as an essay about the life, loves, and pastimes of nobles in the Emperor's court. Another notable piece of fictional Japanese literature was Konjaku Monogatarishū, a collection of over a thousand stories in 31 volumes. The volumes cover various tales from India, China and Japan.
  The 10th-century Japanese narrative, The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter (Taketori Monogatari), can be considered an early example of proto-science fiction. The protagonist of the story, Kaguya-hime, is a princess from the Moon who is sent to Earth for safety during a celestial war, and is found and raised by a bamboo cutter. She is later taken back to her extraterrestrial family in an illustrated depiction of a disc-shaped flying object similar to a flying saucer.
caption: Murasaki Shikibu, the author of The Tale of Genji.
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