The World of the Shining Prince by Ivan Morris

Ivan Morris writes in his well-known book The World of the Shining Prince, the ‘numerically most frequent type of relations between men and women in Heian-kyō were those of a casual and promiscuous nature.’ 3 If, as McCullough suggests, understanding marriage institutions is necessary to better understand Heian society, then so too is understanding casual and promiscuous relationships.įew scholars of the Heian period have specifically studied extramarital relationships. He places particular emphasis on marriage institutions, for ‘Marriage institutions constitute one of the dominant strands in the fabric of every human society, shaping the family, determining relationships among individuals…’ 2 There was, however, an even more dominant strand in the fabric of Heian society than marriage institutions. One of the three things the Heian-period lady-in-waiting Sei Shōnagon includes in her list of ‘Things That are Near Though Distant’ is ‘Relations between a man and a woman.’ 1 William McCullough, a scholar of Heian-period Japan, argues an understanding of relations between men and women is vital for the historian to appreciate any given society. Because aristocrats had a preoccupation with aestheticism, they embraced affairs. This paper argues that affairs were themselves aesthetic acts that is, they were occasions of aesthetic expression. Heian society was intensely aesthetic – a great emphasis was placed on pathos, beauty and aesthetic acts such as composing poetry.

This exploration involves looking at the marriage institution, perceptions of sexuality, belief systems and, importantly, aestheticism. This article addresses this gap in scholarship by exploring why affairs were so prevalent during the Heian period. If an appreciation of marriage institutions is necessary for us to understand Heian society, then an appreciation of affairs is likewise necessary.įew historians have addressed the subject of affairs, though they are central to the most notable texts from the period. As historian Ivan Morris points out, the most prevalent relationships between men and women were extramarital affairs. In the Heian period, however, there was an even more dominant strand in the fabric of society than marriage that impinged on the relationships between aristocratic men and women. According to historian William McCullough, a society cannot be understood without an appreciation of its marriage institutions, for marriage institutions are a dominant strand in the fabric of any society.

The World of the Shining Prince by Ivan Morris