To give Shōshi prestige and to make her competitive in a court that valued education and learning, Michinaga sought talented, educated and interesting ladies-in-waiting to build a salon to rival that of Teishi and Senshi (daughter of Emperor Murakami).
Although she lived in the Imperial palace, Shōshi's main residence for was in one or another of her father's many mansions, particularly after the Imperial palace burned down in 1005 [REF].