Da Kazusa a Heiankyō, mille anni dopo
Rileggere il viaggio narrato da Sugawara no Takasue no musume nel Sarashina nikki
Abstract
This paper analyzes the journey from Kazusa to Heiankyō narrated by Sugawara no Takasue no Musume in the Sarashina nikki (The Sarashina Diary, ca. 1060), one of the most representative works of women’s diary literature from the Heian period (794‑1185). Starting from the celebrations held in Japan in 2020 to commemorate the thousandth anniversary of this journey, the study aims to investigate how the experience of a young aristocratic woman – driven by lofty ideals – reflects broader themes of transition and transformation. The paper argues that the journey represents not merely a spatial displacement but also a significant formative process of cultural repositioning and social reintegration. This experience serves as a preparatory phase necessary for the protagonist to assume the roles of wife and mother, in accordance with paternal expectations and the social norms of the time.
Submitted: Sept. 18, 2025 | Accepted: Oct. 10, 2025 | Published Dec. 15, 2025 | Language: it
Keywords Heian period • Sugawara no Takasue no musume • Women’s diary literature • Sarashina nikki • Journey
Copyright © 2025 Carolina Negri. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/979-12-5742-006-2/010