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The Tale of Genji
A long prose tale of the Heian imperial court written in the early eleventh century by the court lady 紫式部. It follows the loves and career of the prince 光源氏 and his descendants, and is often called the world's oldest novel.
Often shortened to 源氏 in literary talk. It has 54 chapters, counted with the counter 帖.
Common expressions
- 光源氏: the Shining Genji, the hero; also used jokingly for a handsome, popular man
- 源氏物語の世界: the world of the Heian court
- 現代語訳: modern-Japanese translation (famous ones by Yosano Akiko and Tanizaki Jun'ichirō)
Cultural note
It is standard material in high-school classical Japanese, and its aesthetic of 物の哀れ, a gentle sadness at the passing of things, shaped later Japanese literature. A scene from the illustrated scrolls appears on the back of the 2,000-yen note.