47
See also: The Pillow Book 56 ■ The Narrow Road to the Interior 92 ■
The Love Suicides at Sonezaki 93J
apanese art and culture
flourished in the Heian
period (794–1185), when
the imperial court was located
in Heian-kyo ̄ (present-day Kyoto).
It was during this period that
classical Japanese literature
began to emerge, distinct from
Chinese language and culture.
And although Chinese remained
the language of both officialdom
and the nobility, the simpler form
of the Japanese kana syllabic
script increasingly became the
national language of literature.Imperial patronage
Poetry was highly regarded
and encouraged by the Heian
emperors, who commissioned
eight major anthologies of poems
in Japanese. At the end of the
10th century, however, works in
prose also began to appear,
including histories and folktales,
such as The Tale of the Bamboo
Cutter, and an original story,
The Tale of the Lady Ochikubo,
thought to have been written by a
member of the Heian court.More significantly, Murasaki
Shikibu (973–1014 or 1025), a lady-
in-waiting at the court, wrote
what is considered to be the first
Japanese novel (and what some
consider the first ever novel)—
The Tale of Genji. In its 54 chapters,
it recounts the lives and loves of
“Shining Genji”—the disinherited
son of a Japanese emperor—
and his descendants. Although
presented as a sequence of
events rather than a true plot, the
character portrayals are compelling,
giving not only an insight into the
life of courtiers at the time, but also
their thoughts and motivations,
making this arguably a precursor
of the modern psychological novel.
Murasaki probably intended
The Tale of Genji for a readership
of noblewomen, but it won a wider
audience and became a classic,
appearing in many editions from
the 12th century onward. Despite
its status, its complex style meant
it was not translated into modern
Japanese until the 20th century;
the text is usually annotated to
explain its cultural references. ■HEROES AND LEGENDS
REAL THINGS IN THE
DARKNESS SEEM NO
REALER THAN DREAMS
THE TALE OF GENJI (c.1000–1012),
MURASAKI SHIKIBU
IN CONTEXT
FOCUS
Literature of the
Heian courtBEFORE
c.920 ce The first anthology
of waka (classical Japanese
poetry) is published, known
as K o k i n s h u ̄ (A Collection of
Poems Ancient and Modern).Late 10th century The
fairy tale The Tale of the
Lady Ochikubo is written.c.1000 Sei Shoˉ nagon completes
The Pillow Book, observations
on life in the court of the
Empress Consort Teishi.AFTER
Early 12th century
Konjaku monogatari (Tales of
Times Now Past) is compiled,
containing stories from India,
China, and Japan.1187 Senzaishu ̄ (Collection
of a Thousand Years), the final
imperial anthology of waka
(classical poetry), is completed
by Fujiwara no Shunzei.US_046-047_Tangshi_Genji.indd 47 08/10/2015 13:03