What can we learn from the The Tale of Genji?

The Tale of Genji was written by Murasaki Shikibu who was a daughter of a governor and a lady in waiting to the Japanese Empress(1). The novel provides an interesting insight into Japanese culture during the Heian period.

This may be the oldest novel in history, consisting of 54 separate books contrasting to the style of writing that was common before and around this time (2). Although romanticised the novel still provides a look into the past and life in ancient Japan. The opening chapter describes a court setting depicting an idea of what it could have been like during those times (3). Additionally a comparison with China is established which states that the emperor was caught up in an "unreasoning passion" sending the state into turmoil (3).  The comparison is made suggesting that the same ‘mistake’ should not occur in the Japanese court. Thus an influence from China can still be seen, even if it has been provided as a model example of what not to do. 

It is evident the society was male dominated, however women were still somewhat educated and could own, inherit, and pass on property(4). As evident by the author of the novel being a woman, it is evident that some women could be educated.

The opening chapter also introduces the notion that the emperor would have had a polygamous relationship and Genji himself is the son of the Emperor and one of his concubines (4). Polygamy was also a big part of this culture, which can also clearly be seen in the tale of genji, as he not only has several marriages and relationships with women, he has children with different women (5).

An interesting relation (that surprised me) that occurs within the novel is one bisexual encounter of Genji (6). When a young woman rejects Genji he seeks console with her younger brother, who was said to be particularly attractive and is seen as not a bad substitute (6). Although this was the only hint of this throughout the text, I still thought it was a particularly interesting that this relationship was included in the story. Additionally it was not uncommon in the society as there are other records in diaries of sexual relationships between men during the Heian period (7). 

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Diagram of the relationships in the text of the tale of Genji, I found it really useful when trying to understand the text. It is interesting to note some of the controversial relationships that were had, and the number of wives Genji had. 

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Why has The Tale of Genji had such a lasting impact?

The tale of Genji has been transformed into manga, movies, animations, TV, and translated into several other languages including English, French, German, and Chinese. Although modern readers cannot relate to the characters and lives, the story still lives on...but why?

 

Akiko Hirota suggests that manga and animated renditions of the novel have given new life to this story (8). These new version of Genji’s tale have offered more accessibility and interest into the story, bringing in more variety of people (8). These new forms of engaging with this text should not be criticised or undervalued as it is bringing the tale of Genji into the modern age where teenagers can interact and enjoy the story(8). I think the reason this text has lasted so long is its ability to be transformed into a range of media - whether it is art, or a comic, or play, or movie it is a story that intrigues audiences and through these mediums is able to continue to engage and survive through time. Interestingly there have been links between the Heian period and the Heisei era , even though they are a thousand years apart(8). Similarities occur in that there is a lot of interest in the affairs of the imperial family by the public, especially in relation to relationships and gossip that spreads about different individuals(8). There can be some challenges presenting this ancient story to a modern audience because the language used and concepts discussed can be lost. Takao Hoshina stated that most readers of The Tale of Genji do not often read past the first few chapters mainly as a result of the complex writing which is not often seen in modern texts(6). 

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One of the other ways The Tale of Genji's influence can be seen is in art. One artist in particular is Yoshitoshi (1839 - 1892), who's work was recently displayed at the Gallery of NSW, completed a series One Hundred Aspects of the Moon which includes inspiration from famous stories, mythology and Japanese folklore(9). One of his pieces, which was one of my favourites from the series was inspirited by the Fourth Chapter of The Tale of Genji "The Yugao". The woodblock painting depicts the ghost of one of Genji's lovers who was killed by the spirit of an angry mistress(9). This beautiful artwork captivates the audience and highlights the skill of Yoshitoshi (9). I personally found this interesting as before I even knew much about this novel I had already been exposed to it through this artwork. Therefore the long lasting influence of Murasaki's work can be seen as it has influenced artists hundred's of years after the novel was written.  

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Original Yoshitoshi (1839 - 1892) Japanese Woodblock Print 
The Yugao Chapter from The Tale of Genji

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World System analysis

World systems analysis is established on a three level hierarchy- core, periphery, semi-periphery(10):

• Core dominate peripheral for labour and raw materials

• Peripheral depend on core for capital

• Semi-peripheral share experiences of both core and peripheral

World systems theory ​explores how this hierarchy of countries interact, suggesting it is a system where some countries benefit whilst others are exploited(10). The main writer of the theory Immanuel Wallerstein focused mainly on the past 5 centuries, thus analysing capitalist systems and exploitative expansion(10). As a result a lot of his work has been reviewed for ancient societies, exploring how certain cultures influenced others(10). 

There are critics of this theory ​and there are debates about whether or not this approach is too broad and as a result loses details(10). However if individual actions are also recognised it can be a really useful methodology for analysing the past(10). Additionally it can link geographically different cultures but also can be used on a small scale, rather than examining the whole globe(10). Interestingly it also has the option of bringing in broader conversations with other disciplines(10). Thus can be an effective tool to use when examining relationships between countries throughout history. 

Similarly to world history and globalisation it takes a broader approach and establishes links across cultures, however worlds systems has more of an emphasis on unequal relations between countries (core and periphery). 

 

Although this theory is often applied to situations such as colonisation and capitalist expansion it can also be applied to ancient civilisations as well. Specifically it can be applied to ancient Japan and its relationship with China. For so long the culture of China heavily influence so much of Japanese life and culture. Japan even adopted the Chinese writing system and it was only during the Heian Period that Japan formed it's own writing style different from Chinese Kanji, however it was still based of Chinese characters. 

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What I wanted to know?

After reading the tale of Genji I started out wanting to more about the culture of Japan during the Heian period and overall what this period was known for. I was also really curious about the author of The Tale f Genji Murasaki Shikibu and wanted to learn more about her life and women during this period. 

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What did you do to find out?

As there was so much of this period I was interested in I started quite broad, looking at the society as a whole and seeing where that would lead me. I was initially interested in what the society was famous for, what happened during the period. From this I found that it was kind of the period japan came into its own and rather than just copying and imitating china, japan started creating for itself. I started looking at articles explaining what this period was known for and what flourished. As literature was something that really took off during this period I was then curious about the development of the kanas (hiragana and katakana) especially seeing as I learnt these at school but I had never really questioned all that much why there were three different scripts. From literature I was curious to learn more about Murasaki specifically and find out more about her story and lasting impact on Japanese society. 

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What did you find out?

Culture and writing during the Heian Period

The Heian period is known as the golden age of Japanese history because of the major import and further development of Chinese ideas in art, architecture, literature, and ritual – ultimately leading to a unique Japanese culture(11).

 

Japanese writing had initially been an adopted form of Chinese Kanji, however during this period Japan developed it own phonetic writing systems (Kana). Two different scripts were developed, katakana: developed using parts of Chinese ideograms, and hiragana: which is the cursive form of katakana and regarded as an art form in itself. As a result of this hiragana gave "written expression to the spoken word," mostly written by women in court who were not allowed to learn Chinese(11). This sparked a significant change in Japanese history as it developed its own distinct style. This also carried across in art where a new distinctly Japanese style (yamato-e) was developed using bright, opaque colours (4). Although it was inspired by Chinese art a clear distinction was still made between the two styles (4). Additionally the emaki was also developed during this period(4). The emaki are scrolls that combine text and illustrations sometimes depicting religious themes. The Tale of Genji is an example of a literary text that would have been illustrated on an emaki scroll(4). 

 

A century after The Tale of Genji was written the language had developed and changed so much it was almost illegible so the Japanese have been reading an abridged, simplified version as early as the C12th(6). The story has also been converted into two manga versions (one being very explicit to compete with the sales of the first manga version which sold 17million copies)(6). It was translated into English in the C20th by Arthur Waley- however his version cut several parts of the novel (even a whole chapter) and it has been referred to as more of an adaption rather than a translation

Interestingly although the story was changed so much “making Japanese noblemen sound a little like early 20th century Cambridge undergraduates.”(6) This version was then re-translated back into Japanese because it was highly praised and as Takao Hoshina stated it was a more accessible version of the story(6). Other English translations have also been provided with all different attributes to make them different from each other(6).

 

The unique case of Murasaki Shikibu

In my research I found the story of Murasaki Shikibu incredibly interesting. Murasaki notes in her diary that she was present during her brothers Chinese reading lessons and quickly picked up the language, able to correct and help her brother when he stumbled (12). She even states that her father would say to her "If only you were a boy how proud and happy I should be."(12) Thus highlighting the gender differences that existed in the society. Which makes it even more amazing that Murasaki then went on to write the first novel (we know of).

Not only did Murasaki simply write a novel, she influenced other writers with her 
distinct style thus permanently shaping future generations and Japanese culture as

a whole (13). Along with many other talented women during this period a distinction

between the Chinese writing style and the new Japanese written language was 

established, creating a different style of expression and prose (13).  Additionally

her lasting image can be seen in Echizen city where a park was established in

Murasaki's name (13). This destination was chosen because when she was young

she often travelled there with her father when he was appointed to the region (13). 

In the garden Murasaki is immortalised in a golden statute surrounded by a Heian 

style garden (13). Murasaki achieved a great deal in her life and this will continue to be recognised throughout Japanese culture. 

Not only is Murasaki heralded as one of Japans greatest writers with her work still being recognised and admired 1000years later, her work has also been translated into several different languages and here we are learning about it in a Western, english speaking country! 

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State of Murasaki at Echizen 
 

Bibliography

(1) Eriko  Arita, "Murasaki Shikibu glimpsed behind the screens of time", The Japan Times, 2008 [last accessed 29/05] http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2008/10/12/people/murasaki-shikibu-glimpsed-behind-the-screens-of-time/#.WS4_mWiGPIV

(2) Craig Emmott "Background of The Tale of Genji" Tale of Genji, 2015 [last accessed 29/05] http://www.taleofgenji.org/background.html

(3) Murasaki Shikibu [translated by Edward G. Seidensticker] "Chapter 1,The Paulownia Court", The Tale of Genji, accessed through:

https://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/m/murasaki-shikibu/tale-of-genji/chapter1.html​

(4) Ethan Segal, "Heian Japan: An Introductory Essay", Imagining Japanese History, 2010 [last accessed 28/05] http://www.colorado.edu/cas/tea/curriculum/imaging-japanese-history/heian/essay.html

(5) Christy Kirwan, "Women in the Heian Court: Wives, Concubines, and Lovers", Owlcaition, 2015 [last accessed 29/05]https://owlcation.com/humanities/Women-in-the-Heian-Court

(6) "Playboy of the eastern world", The economist, 2008 [last accessed 28/05]http://www.economist.com/node/12811335

(7) Louis Crompton, Homosexuality and Civilization, Harvard University Press, 2003, pp 415

(8) Akiko Hirota, “The Tale of Genji: From Heian Classic to Heisei Comic”, Journal of Popular Culture, 31, no. 2 (Fall 1997): 29-68

(9) "The Yugao Chapter from The Tale of Genji", Fiji Arts, [last accessed 1/06] http://www.fujiarts.com/cgi-bin/item.pl?item=278540

(10) P. Nick Kardulias and Thomas D. Hall, “Archaeology and world-systems analysis”, World Archaeology, 40, no. 4 (2008): 572-583

(11) Jeffrey Hays, "Culture in The Heian Period", Facts and Details, 2015 [last accessed 1/06] http://factsanddetails.com/japan/cat16/sub106/entry-5312.html

(12) Rebecca L. Copeland, Esperanza Ramirez-Christensen, The Father-Daughter Plot: Japanese Literary Women and the Law of the Father, University of Hawaii Press, 2001, pp118

(13) Chelsea Bernard, Murasaki Shikibu: Badass women in Japanese History, Tofugu, 2014 [last accessed 29/05] https://www.tofugu.com/japan/murasaki-shikibu/