Go ahead. Channel your inner Heian courtier.
In tenth-century Japan, a court lady dipped her brush into ink and invented the art of the relatable grievance. Sei Shōnagon, serving Empress Teishi during the height of the Heian period, penned The Pillow Book ( Makura no Sōshi )—a sprawling collection of essays, anecdotes, and lists. Among these, her chapter on "Hateful Things" ( 憎きもの - Nikaki mono ) stands out as a timeless masterpiece of social observation and petty frustration. hateful things sei shonagon pdf