One of the main reasons why studying Japanese literature from different historical periods is so important is due to the fact that it provides the reader with an insight into the period in which it was written. First-hand accounts of events are always a good source for learning about history. At the same time, cultural narratives can have exactly the same value as conventional history. Accounts of events may be embellished, but it is in how events are embellished that the reader is able to truly get a sense of what Japan was like in the past. The medieval world is greatly reflected in Japanese literature. An excellent example of how the medieval world is reflected in Japanese literature is the Tsurezuregusa. The Tsurezuregusa was written in the zuihitsu genre by Yoshida Kenko (1283 – 1352). It is one of the most admired examples of Japanese prose and is considered a masterpiece in the zuihitsu genre. The contents of the Tsurezuregusa are “243 entries that vary in length from a single sentence to a few pages and take many forms: reminiscences, anecdotes (often cautionary in nature), meditations, judgments, notes and questions on matters of fact, dreamlike fragments of narrative , descriptions and emotional exclamations. The order in which they are arranged, although apparently random, involves associative principles such as those used in collections of stories known as setsuwa and in anthologies of poetry” (handout of Encyclopedia 12). In the writings, the author is much more pessimistic about the future than past writers have been and offers profound philosophical ideas about change. This is an example of how the time period is reflected through the writing. People of the time were becoming more philosophical... middle of paper ... ...logy of Japanese literature. 'Comp'. Donald Keene. New York: Grove Press, 1955. Print.Ki, Tsurayuki. "Tosa's diary." Anthology of Japanese literature. 'Comp'. Donald Keene. New York: Glove Press, 1955. Print.Kamo, Choumei. “An account of my cabin.” Anthology of Japanese literature. 'Comp'. Donald Keene. New York: Grove Press, 1955. Print. Shikibu, Murasaki and Royall Tyler. The Story of Genji. Penguin Classics, 2006. Print.Shonagon, Sei. "The Pillow Book." Anthology of Japanese literature. 'Comp'. Donald Keene. New York: Grove Press, 1955. Print.Yoshida, Kenkou. "Essays on Idleness." Anthology of Japanese literature. 'Comp'. Donald Keene. New York: Grove Press, 1955. Print. Encyclopedia of Japan. "Handout 12 – Heike, Ujishūi, Hōjōki and Tsurezuregusa" 2011. Keene, Donald. “Anthology of Japanese literature”. New York, 1955.