Ivan I Morris

This is a portrait of the ceremonious, inbred, melancholy world of ancient Japan. Using as a frame of reference The Tale of Genji and other major literary works from Japan's Heian period, the author recreates an era when woman set the cultural tone. Focusing on the world of the emperor's court-the world, he describes the politics, society, religious life, and superstitions of the times, providing detailed portrayals of the daily life of courtiers,...

Japan's heroic tradition is in startling contrast to that of the West. The most beloved Japanese heroes chose defeat and certain death rather than sully the purity of their ideals with compromise and petty calculation. The lives of nine of these heroes of Japanese history are related here, beginning with a legendary fourth-century prince and concluding with the kamikaze pilots of World War II. with The Nobility of Failure, Ivan Morris opens a new...

This is a book of observations and musings recorded by Sei Shōnagon during her time as court lady to Empress Consort Teishi in 990s and early 11th century in Heian,Japan. The book was completed in the year 1002. In it she included lists of personal thoughts, court events, poetry and opinions on her contemporaries.