▁includes ▁v ign ettes , ▁w aka ▁po ems , ▁and ▁an ▁ep istol ary ▁section ▁written ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁a ▁long ▁letter . ▁ ▁The ▁di ary ▁was ▁probably ▁written ▁between ▁ 1 0 0 8 ▁and ▁ 1 0 1 0 ▁when ▁Mur as aki ▁was ▁in ▁service ▁at ▁the ▁imperial ▁court . ▁The ▁largest ▁portion ▁detail ▁the ▁birth ▁of ▁Em press ▁Sh ō sh i ' s ▁( A k iko ) ▁children . ▁Sh orter ▁v ign ettes ▁describe ▁interactions ▁among ▁imperial ▁ladies - in - wait ing ▁and ▁other ▁court ▁writers , ▁such ▁as ▁Iz umi ▁Sh ik ib u , ▁A kaz ome ▁Em on ▁and ▁Se i ▁Sh ō n agon . ▁Mur as aki ▁includes ▁her ▁observations ▁and ▁opinions ▁throughout , ▁bringing ▁to ▁the ▁work ▁a ▁sense ▁of ▁life ▁at ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 1 th ▁century ▁He ian ▁court , ▁lack ing ▁in ▁other ▁literature ▁or ▁chron icles ▁of ▁the ▁era . ▁ ▁A ▁Japanese ▁picture ▁scroll , ▁the ▁Mur as aki ▁Sh ik ib u ▁Di ary ▁Em aki ▁was ▁produced ▁during ▁the ▁Kam ak ura ▁period ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁century , ▁and ▁the ▁fragments ▁of ▁the ▁di ary ▁serve ▁as ▁the ▁basis ▁for ▁three ▁important ▁transl ations ▁to ▁English ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁ ▁Background ▁▁ ▁At ▁the ▁peak ▁of ▁the ▁He ian ▁period , ▁from ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 0 th ▁to ▁early ▁ 1 1 th ▁century , ▁as ▁Japan ▁sought ▁to