1.
Murasaki Shikibu, Heian court lady and author of The Tale of Genji
The writer, active around the year 1000, who served at the imperial court and wrote 源氏物語, often called the world's first novel. She also left a diary of court life.
Common expressions
- 紫式部の源氏物語: Murasaki Shikibu's Tale of Genji
- 紫式部日記: The Diary of Lady Murasaki
- 清少納言と紫式部: Sei Shonagon and Murasaki Shikibu, the paired names of Heian women's writing
Cultural note
Every Japanese student meets her in school, so the name stands for classical literature and for female authorship generally. Neither 紫 nor 式部 is a real personal name: 式部 refers to her father's court post and 紫 to a character in her own novel.
The same word also names a shrub, 紫式部 (Japanese beautyberry), whose purple berries were felt to suit her.