In earlier times, books were copied by hand and circulated among individual readers, passing from one generation to the next. No autograph manuscript by Murasaki Shikibu herself survives, yet The Tale of Genji has been passed down since the Heian period (794–1192) through the devoted efforts of countless scribes over the centuries. Along the way, however, omissions, alterations, transcription errors, and the combining of passages from different copies gave rise to multiple textual lineages. This chapter introduces a selection of early manuscripts, each with its own distinctive character, which have long been considered essential to the study of this masterpiece of classical literature.

“Little Purple Gromwell” (Wakamurasaki), from The Tale of Genji (Teika Edition)
Photo courtesy of Yagi Shoten

The Tale of Genji was written by a woman known as Murasaki Shikibu (dates unknown), who developed a talent for literature from an early age. The novel appears to have gained a wide readership while Murasaki was serving as lady-in-waiting to Empress Shōshi (988–1074), daughter of Fujiwara no Michinaga (966–1028), the most powerful courtier of his day. Much about Murasaki Shikibu’s life remains unknown, yet the enduring popularity of her diary and the many portraits of her produced over the centuries attest to her longstanding fame as the author of The Tale of Genji. This chapter presents historical documents and paintings to explore both the historical figure of Murasaki Shikibu and how she was reimagined by later generations.

Portrait of Murasaki Shikibu
By Tosa Mitsuoki
Ishiyama-dera Temple, Shiga
[on view: October 6–November 1, 2026]

The National Treasure-designated illustrated handscrolls The Tale of Genji (Genji monogatari emaki) are not only the oldest surviving depictions of the story but also rank among the greatest masterpieces of Japanese handscroll painting. Within images little more than twenty centimeters in height, refined compositions, subtly harmonized colors, and meticulous brushwork combine to evoke the emotional depth of each scene with extraordinary nuance. The elegance of the calligraphy and the decoration of the paper are equally deserving of close attention. These handscrolls offer an unparalleled glimpse into the refined aesthetics of the Heian aristocracy.

National Treasure
“Trees Encoiled in Vines of Ivy” (Yadorigi) III, from The Tale of Genji (Genji monogatari emaki)
The Tokugawa Art Museum, Aichi
© Tokugawa Museum of Art Image Archive / DNP Art Communications Co., Ltd.
[this scene on view: November 17–November 29, 2026]

From the Kamakura period (1192–1333) onward, the text of The Tale of Genji was increasingly standardized, spawning a number of commentaries. This deepening engagement with the novel accelerated its transformation into a venerated classic, setting it apart from other works of court literature. The production of Genji-related imagery flourished at the imperial palace and among the aristocracy as a means of displaying sophistication and cultural standing. Manuscripts of selected passages from The Tale of Genji copied by emperors, as well as the many Genji paintings produced through the Muromachi period (1392–1573), reflect its rarefied cultural status.

Battle of the Carriages (right screen)
By Tosa Mitsumochi
Ninna-ji Temple, Kyoto
[on view: October 6–November 1, 2026]

The Tale of Genji also provided a rich source of design inspiration for works of decorative art. In many cases, rather than depicting figures directly, artists evoked specific scenes through symbolic motifs devoid of human presence—a convention known as “motifs of absence” (rusu mon’yō). As the novel gained currency as a work of cultural refinement, it became customary for aristocratic and warrior families to include a multivolume set of books of The Tale of Genji as part of the trousseau carried to a bride’s new home. Bespoke book chests were crafted specifically to house these volumes. Indeed, Genji-related designs came to adorn the full range of bridal furnishings.

National Treasure
Box with Guessing Tablets for The Tale of Genji “Ten Uji Chapters Incense Game,” part of the “First Song of Spring” (Hatsune) Wedding Trousseau
By Kōami Chōjū
The Tokugawa Art Museum, Aichi
© Tokugawa Museum of Art Image Archive / DNP Art Communications Co., Ltd.

Kosode (Kimono) with Hawks, Court Carriages, and Palace Buildings
Kyoto National Museum
[on view: November 3–November 29, 2026]

The Tale of Genji, a literary classic symbolizing Heian court culture, and Noh, a medieval theater tradition rooted in the aesthetic of yūgen (mysterious profundity), are two great pillars of Japanese culture. The fusion of these traditions gave rise to numerous celebrated Noh plays. Noh playwrights embraced Heian aristocratic figures from The Tale of Genji as “seeds of the flower of yūgen” (yūka no tane), inspiring a body of plays known collectively as “Genji Noh.” Works such as Aoi no Ue (Lady Aoi), Nonomiya (The Shrine in the Fields), Yūgao (Evening Faces), and Genji Kuyō (A Memorial Service for Genji) remain in the active repertoire of Noh plays today, offering a vivid window onto how the Genji narrative was read, performed, and reimagined from the medieval period onward.

Important Cultural Property
Noh Mask, Deigan (ex Konparu Family Collection)
Seal “Tenkaichi Kawachi”
Tokyo National Museum

From the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1573–1603) onward, The Tale of Genji inspired great numbers of paintings. In addition to poem cards (shikishi), handscrolls, and fans, large-scale formats including folding screens and sliding door panels were increasingly used to depict Genji-themed imagery. Such paintings came to be appreciated not merely as illustrations of a literary narrative, but also as elegant decorations for interior spaces and as auspicious subjects expressing wishes for marital happiness and long life. Among the many Genji paintings of the early modern period, this chapter presents works of exceptional distinction, inviting visitors to immerse themselves in the story.

National Treasure
Scenes from “The Barrier Gate” (Sekiya) and “Channel Markers”(Miotsukushi), from The Tale of Genji
By Tawaraya Sōtatsu
Seikadō Bunko Art Museum, Tokyo
Seikadō Bunko Art Museum / DNP Art Communications Co., Ltd.
[on view: October 6–November 1, 2026]

“Leaves of Wild Ginger” (Aoi), from The Tale of Genji (Moriyasu Version, known as the Phantom Genji Scrolls)
Kyoto National Museum
[this scene on view: October 6–November 1, 2026]

During the Edo period (1603–1868), The Tale of Genji became widely beloved across society. Incense aficionados developed an incense-comparing game known as “Genji Incense” (Genji kō), in which the possible matching patterns among five incense samples were represented by diagrammatic symbols, each associated with one chapter of The Tale of Genji. These Genji kō incense symbols came to be widely used as decorative motifs. Numerous woodblock prints transposed Genji characters and scenes into contemporary settings complete with fashions and customs of the day, giving rise to a culture of playful and witty reinterpretation. In the early 1800s, the contemporary adaptation A Fraudulent Murasaki’s Rustic Genji (Nise Murasaki inaka Genji) became a runaway bestseller. This “Genji boom” had a transformative impact on the publishing world of the time.

A Fraudulent Murasaki’s Rustic Genji (Nise Murasaki inaka Genji)
Written by Ryūtei Tanehiko; illustrated by Utagawa Kunisada
Tokyo National Museum

The tradition of Genji painting, so richly developed in the early modern period, took on new forms in the modern era. Late nineteenth- and twentieth-century artists approached the material afresh, drawing on earlier Genji paintings while bringing their own individual interpretations to the subject. In The Uji Princesses, Nihonga painter Matsuoka Eikyū (1881–1938) synthesizes his study of classical works—including the National Treasure The Tale of Genji handscrolls—in a monumental format. This landmark of modern Genji painting brings the exhibition to a close.

The Uji Princesses (right screen)
By Matsuoka Eikyū
Himeji City Museum of Art, Hyogo
Photo courtesy of Himeji City Museum of Art