What was life like for a noble woman in medieval Japan? Was it

>>3081075
Bump.

>>3081075

I'd recommend the Tale of the Genji by Murasaki Shikubu, pretty good account written by a Heian period Noblewoman no less.

>>3081883
What about Muromachi?
Heian period still as classical Japan.

>>3081911
Its in the "medieval" era, from what I understood to be.

Medieval era is the western period of time when the Roman empire fell and ends right in the middle of Renaissance period. Occupying ~ 1000 years from 5th to 15th century.

Any other area outside of Europe doesn't have a "medieval" period where they recognized the fall of roman empire and the rise of culture during Renaissance, Heian period of Japan occupies from roughly 800 CE to 1200 CE (~10 year take).

>>3081965
Generally Japanese history is devided into "classical" "Medievel" and "early modern" periods, though they fall differently than western ones.

Heian is considered part of Japan's "classical" period.

>>3081965
Oh so I guess I should have described it as shogun/bakufu period then.
The Kamakura period 1100s was when it first appeared though which was within that Heian period time frame.
Was life that different from then on?
I will consider reading Tale of Genji though

>>3081075
you had to handle your husband money and care for all his needs, including finding consorts and buying their contracts

>>3081995
There we go, I remember reading that. I should have posted the link from wiki that also describes it that way.

>>3082020
Contracts?
I thought consorts were just concubines basically.
So basically take care of the house and domestic affairs.. wouldn't they have servants to do half that shit though? Unless you're strictly describing samurai class?

>>3081995
I've never seen Japanese history divided like that in any serious manner. General classification are things like Heian, Nara, Kamakura, Sengoku, Edo, Meiji, Showa, etc

Meiji is the "early modern". Showa is the "modern". Heisei is "current"

>>3082130
Muromachi*
Sengoku happened in the middle of Muromachi.
This is what they're probably talking about though.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Japan

>>3081075
Gossip, socializing, and sex

>>3082176
So basically the same thing as always?
gossip and socializing is usually the same thing with women btw.

>>3082263
Not same things always. In Europe of same period, they're praying to God and hoping they don't die in the next mongol raids/muslims/steppe raids/viking raids/local noble fights/etc

>>3082282
But Jap noble women also had to deal with excessive war. Medieval Japan goes up to the late 16th century.

>>3082130
Well, I have a college textbook that defines Edo as "Early modern Japan" And I have several academic books on "early medieval Japan" So it is used.

Of course the books used more specific dates and terminology as well

So like were women and men not allowed to be in the same room and eat together? I found that during large banquets or gathers, women were pretty much not around the men, kind of like Greece. Thoughts?

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>>3081075
They got dicked via rape culture.
>inb4 feminism.
No, I'm fucking serious.

>http://www.sengokudaimyo.com/Forced_Affection.html
>Rape as the First Act of Romance in Heian Japan
>Sexual relationships in Heian and Kamakura court literature (most notably in monogatari) may often begin with a contact that can only be compared to rape, but the strictures of the court society force the woman to accept the conquest and even treat it as a matter-of-fact incident, often having to go so far as to respond to what may be an unwanted "morning-after letter" Note 1 using her own wit and charm to indicate whether she is willing to continue the affair. Few relationships thus begun end in hostility, however, as many of them end up being long-term liaisons and often produce a child.
>There are primarily three types of these forced sexual encounters: (1) one-night stands, prompted by simple lust for the woman or desire for a woman -- any woman -- and the object of the encounter happens to be available; (2) sexual initiations of the woman, occasionally planned well in advance; and (3) a period of unrequited, unacknowledged, or even secret love, ending as the man acts out his desires on the object of his affections.

>>3083579
married women couldn´t be alone with another man in close quarters

>>3083748
I read excerpts of Genjimonagatari describing events similar to this. IIRC, Genjimonogatari literally at a one point I adopts a
little girl who just to fuck her when she grows up...it was some messed up shit
Did this continue throughout the medieval period or was it just doesn't specific to Heian?....which btw is technically classical period but whatever.

>>3083753
so as long as there were other people around it was ok? It wasn't like Greece or some Islamic countries where all the woman are in areas separate from all men or not able to sit in the same area?

>>3083771
Genji literally adopts*

>>3083780
afaik women and men interacted in poetry competitions and other social ceremonies

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>>3083748

Japanese surprise sex videos are actually historic re-enactment.

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>>3083801
In Heian period only or throughout the others as well?

If they birthed their husband's firstborn son and obtained his affection they would likely run the estate. A samurai's wife would manage day to day business, hiring servants, tradesmen and foremen, purchasing or producing goods, negotiating with tenants, laborers and other landlords. The aristocracy would delegate these duties and focus on high culture. Entertaining guests was a big deal and they would be perfecting recipes, music, poetry and other luxuries in advance to impress them.

This was the ideal but it didn't always turn out that way. Even in successful marriages they rarely saw their husband. It could be years before she had a healthy son and her husband trusted her more than his retainers, sometimes never. The husband might have a son by another marriage (polygamy was acceptable) or from a concubine whom he favors, he might be homosexual or either could be infertile. In this case they would focus on minor duties and the arts for social occasions. If she was from a high ranking family or had political significance she would still have token status in the household, personal wealth and some freedom, if not she would be almost cloistered.

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>>3083801
>>3083829

I believe Heian women would have screens around them when they were interacting with men.

Also, their clothing could weigh up to 40 lbs all together.

>>3083933
Interesting, so marriages were still valid even if the husband was infertile or impotent?
In Europe, I think that was always grounds for divorce/anulment iirc. Only the husbands were allowed to issue divorce then?
What's the reason for this distrust? He didn't trust the intentions of the family she was from or same old "can't trust womenfolk" idea?

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Read this, OP.

>>3085241
I know, I'm adding it to my list. It focuses only on the Heian period though.

>>3083933
What source did you get this from btw?

daughters were routinely trade among rival lords. To be used as hostages. The theory being that they wouldn't attack each other. if the life of their daughter was at stake.

>>3087501
I thought they used family members in general, including sons, as hostages?
Wouldn't they also use them as bargaining chips to seal an alliance via marriage?