The Confessions of Lady Nijō

In about 1307 a remarkable woman in Japan sat down to complete the story of her life. When she was finished she had produced one of the world’s earliest and finest autobiographical narratives. One of the oldest books in print by a woman, Confessions of Lady Nijo contains the thoughts, reflections, and poetry of an opinionated Japanese Imperial court concubine, covering the years 1271 to 1306. Writing in diary form towards the end of her life, Lady Nijo chronicles her past life in the Imperial court, where her strong personality and aspirations for a higher position provoked the jealousy of the Empress and caused her dismissal; her travels throughout the country as a Buddhist nun; and her development into a mature and compassionate woman. Whether she is commenting on fashion and personalities at court or coming to understand the lives of the lower-caste, Lady Nijo’s reflections show that while much may change in seven hundred years, there is much more that does not. There are births and deaths, marriages and affairs, richness and poverty. Her writing is beautiful and often touching.