Murasaki Shikibu (973-c.1013) belonged to an aristocratic family of midrange. In 998 he married, but was widowed two years later. His fate in the court was mainly devoted to service company Empress Akiko, largely because of his great talent as a storyteller. He died at age forty. From his vast work some excerpts from her diary, a number of poems and headed this classic Japanese letters are preserved.