Final answer:
Most early Japanese literature was written by women due to cultural norms and restrictions. Women of the court had access to resources and were expected to excel in the arts. Murasaki Shikibu, a noblewoman and lady-in-waiting, wrote the famous novel The Tale of Genji.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main reason that most early Japanese literature was written by women was due to the cultural norms and restrictions placed on women during that time period. In the Heian period, women of the court were highly educated and had access to resources such as writing materials. They were expected to excel in the arts, including poetry and literature. Murasaki Shikibu, a noblewoman and lady-in-waiting, wrote the famous work The Tale of Genji, which is widely considered the world's first novel. Her writing skillfully portrayed the lives of the Heian nobility and became a masterpiece of Japanese literature.