[1] Sei Shōnagon's observations of the Heian court at the end of the tenth-century in The Pillow Book (枕草子, Makura no sōshi) include passages that resemble a poetic diary, others in an essay-like style, as well as a number of poetic catalogues or "detailing of things" (ものはつくし).
[2][3] For instance, under the heading Elegant Things: 'a white coat worn over a violet waistcoat, duck eggs, shaved ice mixed with liana syrup placed in a new silver bowl, rock-crystal prayer beads, wisteria blossoms, plum blossoms covered with snow, a beautiful child eating strawberries'.
[4] Inu makura similarly comprises a number of such listings under a series of headings, although without the narrative accompaniment.
[6] Such parodies were amongst the earliest genres of kanazōshi, updating and transforming Heian and later court works into "comic versions of contemporary popular culture".
[4] In the 1530s, Dog Tsukubashū (犬筑波集), attributed to Yamazaki Sōkan and a response to the first collections of linked verse, had been infused with the haikai spirit, "outlandish metaphor", and "irreverent or ribald humour".