The Tale of Genji
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The Tale of Genji is a classic work of Japanese literature said to have been written by the noblewoman, poet, and lady-in-waiting Murasaki Shikibu around the peak of the Heian period, in the early 11t
Written text from the earliest illustrated handscroll (12th century)
Murasaki Shikibu, illustration by Tosa Mitsuoki who created a series of illustrations of The Tale of Genji (17th century)
Chapter 15 – Yomogiu (蓬生, "Waste of Weeds"). Scene from the 12th-century illustrated handscroll Genji Monogatari Emaki kept at the Tokugawa Art Museum.
Chapter 16 – Sekiya (関屋, "At The Pass")
Heian period
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The Heian period is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kammu, moved the capital of Japan t
The Tale of Genji
…a classic work of Japanese literature said to have been written by the noblewoman, poet, and lady-in-waiting Murasaki Shikibu around the peak of the Heian period, in the early 11th century. It is the first novel written by a woman to have won global recognition. In Japan, The Tale of Genji has a stature similar…
Miniature model of Heian-kyō, the capital during the Heian period
Byōdō-in ("Phoenix Hall"), built in the 11th century (Uji, Kyoto)
Section of a handscroll depicting a scene from the "Bamboo River" chapter of the Tale of Genji, c. 1130
Drawing of Fujiwara no Michinaga, by Kikuchi Yōsai