The main character from the Setting Sun by Osamu Dazai, Kazuko, is called by her friend “a lady from Sarashina’s journal” – she meant the writer of Sarashina Nikki, published in English under the title As I Crossed a Bridge of Dreams. The author, whose name remains unknown, was a daughter of a courtier, Sugawara no Takasue and is often referred to as such. It was one of the translators, Ivan Morris, who called her Sarashina, referencing a region in Nagano prefecture.
Sarashina’s journal is actually a diary written by a mature lady, reminescening her court life, adolescent fascination with The Tale of Genji Monogatari and dreams of a similarly passionate romance. It’s also one of the earliest known travel journals – it’s safe to say that Lady Sarashina was one of the first travel bloggers.