In tenth-century Japan, a Heian court lady sat with a bundle of paper, recording her deepest annoyances. Her name was Sei Shōnagon. Her work, The Pillow Book ( Makura no Sōshi ), became a masterpiece of classical Japanese literature.
A pest that hovers near your face just as you are trying to sleep.
In the annals of world literature, Sei Shōnagon’s The Pillow Book stands as a masterpiece of the Japanese Heian period (794–1185), offering an intimate glimpse into the courtly life of the eleventh century. While the text is renowned for its poetic observations on nature and beauty, it is perhaps most strikingly modern in its catalog of annoyances. The section titled “Hateful Things” (Japanese: nikuki koto ) presents a list of specific grievances that range from social faux pas to physical discomforts. However, these lists are not merely the rantings of a frustrated courtier; they are a sophisticated literary device. In “Hateful Things,” Sei Shōnagon transforms the mundane emotion of irritation into a high art form, using the cataloging of dislikes to define the boundaries of aristocratic taste, establish a hierarchy of sensibility, and reveal the subtle anxieties of Heian social interaction.
Akiko looked at the PDF. She looked at the cursor. She added one final entry: The Word 'Vibey'
The Art of Dislike: A Guide to "Hateful Things" by Sei Shōnagon