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Primary sourceBookc. 1010

The Tale of Genji

Murasaki Shikibu · c. 1010

A classic work of Japanese literature written by Murasaki Shikibu in the early 11th century, depicting Heian court life through the life of Prince Genji.

Her masterpiece and the central literary achievement of her life.

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Fragment of a decorated handscroll page with black calligraphic Japanese script running in vertical columns on gold-flecked paper with dark green and gold scattered patches and faint grass-like brushstrokes. A printed caption in the lower right reads in Japanese.
Fragment of a Genji Monogatari emaki, 12th century. Gotoh Museum.

About this source

What it is

The Tale of Genji is a long work of Japanese prose said to have been written by the court lady Murasaki Shikibu in the early 1000s. The original no longer survives, but hundreds of later manuscript copies exist. It follows the life of a nobleman called Genji and later his descendants.

Why it matters

It is often called one of the world's first novels and shows deep understanding of court manners, love and the passing of time. It reveals Murasaki's skill as a writer and gives a detailed picture of aristocratic life in Heian Japan.

Look closer

  • Why might characters in the story not be given explicit names?
  • What does the choice to write in the women's script, hiragana, rather than Chinese characters tell you about who the audience was?
  • What parts of court life might this story leave out?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Murasaki Shikibu on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Open double-page spread of a Japanese manuscript with gold and silver flecks scattered on brown-orange and dark mauve paper. Black cursive kana calligraphy runs in vertical columns on both pages.Book

Primary source

Kokin Wakashū

Ki no Tsurayuki and compilers · c. 905-920

Diary entry

Primary source

The Diary of Lady Murasaki

Murasaki Shikibu · c. 1008–1010

Scan of a page of handwritten Japanese cursive calligraphy in brown ink on pale paper, written in vertical columns. This is the final part of the Tosa Nikki diary, copied by Fujiwara no Teika in the 13th century.Diary entry

Primary source

Tosa Nikki

Ki no Tsurayuki · 935 (copy 13th century)

Photograph of the front cover of a Japanese book bound in pale green-grey paper. A vertical cream label on the cover bears brush-written Japanese characters and a small seal-like stamp appears at lower left. A color calibration chart and a metric ruler are along the edges of the image.Book

Secondary source

Eiri Genji Monogatari

Yamamoto Shunshō · 1650

A long horizontal handscroll of calligraphy on multiple panels of differently colored paper, including grey-blue, pale yellow, pink, and deep red sheets, with brushed columns of Japanese text running across the whole length.Book

Primary source

Wakan Rōeishū

Fujiwara no Kintō · c. 1013

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