ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

The Pillow Book

The Pillow Book is a book that was written by a lady named Sei Shōnagon many many years ago in Japan. It is called the Pillow Book because people used to write in their journals while lying on a pillow.

Sei Shōnagon was a lady in waiting to a powerful woman called the Empress. She loved writing and she wrote down everything she observed, felt and experienced in her day to day life. Her writings were like a diary and a scrapbook combined! She wrote about the things she found beautiful, the things that annoyed her, and the things that made her laugh.

In The Pillow Book, Sei Shōnagon wrote about lots of different things, such as beautiful sunsets she saw, a funny thing she overheard somebody say, and even the smell of the perfume somebody was wearing! She also wrote about her own thoughts and feelings, like when she was sad or happy, and what her dreams were.

Sei Shōnagon’s Pillow Book was very special because it gave us a peek into what life was like in Japan many, many years ago. We can learn a lot about the culture, and what people liked and didn't like by reading it. Even though the Pillow Book is very old, it is still a popular book to read today!