Reference manuals for young ladies-in-waiting. A comparison of the Murasaki Shikibu Diary and the Letter of Abutsu

The paper focuses on the comparison between two works written for women’s education in ancient Japan: The Murasaki Shikibu nikki (the Murasaki Shikibu Diary, early 11th century) and the Abutsu no fumi (the Letter of Abutsu, 1263). Like many literary documents produced in the Heian (794-1185) and in the Kamakura (1185-1333) periods they describe the hard life in the service of aristocratic figures and the difficulty of managing relationships with other people. Both are intended to show women what positive effects might arise from sharing certain examples of good conduct and at the same time, the inevitable negative consequences on those who rejected them.The paper focuses on the comparison between two works written for women's education in ancient Japan: The Murasaki Shikibu nikki (the Murasaki Shikibu Diary, early 11thcentury) and the Abutsu no fumi (the Letter of Abutsu, 1263). Like many literary documents produced in the Heian (794-1185) and in the Kamakura (1185-1333) periods they describe the hard life in the service of aristocratic figures and the difficulty of managing relationships with other people. Both are intended to show women what positive effects might arise from sharing certain examples of good conduct and at the same time, the inevitable negative consequences on those who rejected them