After reading Pillow Talk, pick a topic (religion, aesthetics, literature, sexuality, gender) and explore its role in the book in relation to its content, structure, and themes. Frame your observations with an overview of historical time, place, and events discussed, but also examine how your topic relate to it aristocratic world in which the author lived. What does she focus on and why? Which relevant accounts or vignettes are striking and memorable? How does her work aid your understanding of Japanese culture and East Asian history more broadly? Use at least one external scholarly source to support your observations.