Tale of Genji

• Written: c. 1011, Murasaki Shikibu
• Japanese: 源氏物語 (genji monogatari)

The Tale of Genji, or Genji Monogatari, is a fifty-four chapter fictional tale often described as the first novel in world history. Written sometime around 1000-1010 CE by the court lady Murasaki Shikibu, it features the fictional Imperial prince Hikaru Genji (lit. "the shining [prince] of the Minamoto clan") and in the course of its tale, reveals to readers today much about the Heian period Imperial Court, the Heian capital, the palace, and the life of courtiers, as well as about the aesthetic tastes of courtiers of the time.

The earliest surviving copies of the text date to roughly 1200 CE, about two hundred years after the Genji is believed to have been originally written; scholarly debate continues as to the authorship of latter chapters, and as to changes which may have been made in the intervening two centuries.

Plot

The tale as a whole covers roughly 75 years of time, with the first 41 chapters focusing on Genji himself, and relating the events of his life from birth (in the first chapter) until the age of 52 (in chapter 41). Three transitional chapters, sometimes said to be potentially inauthentic, take place following Genji's death, and the remaining ten chapters focus on over 20 years in the life of Kaoru, the grandson of one of Genji's close friends, who most within the story believe to be instead Genji's own son. These last ten chapters are known as the "Uji Chapters," as they take place not in Kyoto (the Heian capital), but in the nearby city of Uji. Some have suggested these latter chapters - quite different in setting, in main characters, and in tone - to have been written by someone else, perhaps Murasaki's daughter, Daini no Sammi; however, others, citing the unprecedented nature and masterful character of the Genji, express doubt that anyone other than Murasaki could so simply produce such excellent literature, in a form not that different from the earlier chapters, when no other surviving works of literature from the time are at all comparable in form, or in quality.

While many aspects of the story contain elements of historical accuracy, much is also purely fictitious, beginning with the figure of Genji himself. However, many scholars suggest that Genji may have been based on a genuine individual, and that the identity of the model may have been known to Shikibu's original intended audience - her fellow court ladies and other members of the Court; this would help to explain certain gaps in Murasaki's description of Genji, as she may have assumed her readers would know who she was talking about. One of the primary candidates for potentially having been this model is Fujiwara no Michinaga, a distant relative of Murasaki's, and a particularly prominent figure at court during her life.