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Intermediate Japanese - Free Online Course
Genji Monogatari
源氏物語
The Tale of Genji
To the outside world, Japan is known more for consumer electronics and automobiles than for great literature. Nevertheless, Japan happens to be home of the world’s first novel, The Tale of Genji. Although stories and heroic tales are virtually as old as civilization itself, the Genji Monogatari is the first piece of literature that was written in a format which corresponds, more or less, to the modern novel.
The Tale of Genji was written by Murasaki Shikibu around 1000 A.D. Murasaki was a member of the Japanese court, and the paramour of the aristocrat Fujiwara no Michinaga. It seems that Murasaki did not know Chinese characters, so the novel is written entirely in phonetic script.
The Son of an Emperor
The main protagonist of the story, Genji, is the son of an emperor. Although he is beloved by his father, Genji is not in line for succession to the throne. He is a sensitive young man, who is deeply affected by the loss of his mother in early childhood. In the hope of finding meaning in life, he embarks on a series of romantic affairs.
Genji’s first affair is with his father’s wife. Later, he meets his greatest love, a woman named Murasaki. Then Murasaki dies, and Genji is overcome with grief. He goes into exile for a number of years. After his return, he applies himself to the intrigues of life in the imperial court. Genji eventually marries, but his wife gives birth to the son of another man. Finally exhausted, Genji responds to this humiliation by becoming a priest.
The latter part of the book details the love affairs of Kaoru—Genji’s “son” by another man. Kaoru is not as successful as Genji in love, and his affairs end unhappily.
A Novel of Timeless Appeal
The Tale of Genji met wide acclaim among the aristocracy of Japan’s Heian court. The novel’s popularity has endured through the ages. Today the Genji Monogatari is regarded as the quintessential work of Japanese literature. No one passes through the Japanese school system without reading at least part of it. (However, the version studied in Japanese schools today has been “translated” into modern Japanese, as the language spoken in the eleventh century is largely incomprehensible to today’s Japanese) The Tale of Genji has also been adapted for stage and film.