The Misogynistic Culture of Heian Japan

Abstract

The Heian era of Japan is a period characterized by a court society enamored with all things beautiful and poetic. Within that society, court men and women produced many great, long-lasting works of art, not the least of which were works of poetry and literature. Some of the most famous of these literary and poetic pieces were authored by women of the court, such as The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu and The Pillow Book by Sei Shōnagon. Considering the great accomplishments of these women, one might be lead to believe that these women enjoyed lives of respect and opportunity, however; this could not be further from the truth. Women of the Heian era lived their lives from a position of inferiority with no chance at achievements at the level of men. In my paper, I argue that, through the writings of court men and women of the Heian era, an intrinsic misogyny within the culture is revealed.