Summary of The Tale of Genji

The Tale of Genji was written shortly after the year 1000 in Japan's Heian
era, when the capital was situated at Heian-kyo (present-day Kyoto - see
the map).

Niou serenades Nakanokimi (detail from the 12th century Genji

Monogatari Emaki scroll).

Genji, the hero of the Tale, is the son of the emperor and his favourite
concubine, Kiritsubo. A Korean sage predicts a brilliant future for Genji but
his mother suffers the jealousy of rivals at court, becomes ill and dies. The
distraught emperor becomes obsessed with the tragic story of Yang Kwei-fei,
but eventually finds another concubine, Fujitsubo, who reminds him of his
former love.
Since Genji lacks backing at court, the emperor makes him a commoner,
assigning him membership of the non-royal Genji clan. The eldest son of the
emperor and Lady Kokiden is made crown prince.

Genji becomes an uncommonly handsome and gifted young man, admired

by all but feared by Lady Kokiden and her family. The first part of the Tale
follows his amorous exploits with a variety of ladies in and around Heian-
kyo, his friendship with To no Chujo and arranged marriage to To no Chujo's
sister Aoi, the birth of his son and his budding relationship with the young
Murasaki.

Meanwhile, the old emperor dies and is succeeded by Lady Kokiden's son.
Genji's amorous intrigues cause a scandal at court and he is forced to leave
the capital and live inSuma for several years. During this second part of the
Tale, Genji meets the ex-Governor of Harima and his daughter The Akashi
Lady.

Genji returns to the capital and the emperor abdicates in favour of

Fujitsubo's (and secretly Genji's) son. Genji's position at court is restored
and the Akashi Lady has a baby girl. Genji then goes on a pilgrimage to
the Sumiyoshi Shrine to give thanks to the deity for protecting him during
the storm at Suma. After his return to the capital he settles down with
Murasaki and several other ladies at his Rokujo Mansion. During this long
section of the Tale, Genji's influence at court increases steadily and he is
preoccupied with the advancement of his children and grandchildren at
court. Genji is persuaded to marry the Third Princess, who gives birth to a
son and soon after becomes a Buddhist nun.
Bugaku performance on the eve of Harvest Moon at the Lower Kamo
Shrine.

In the last 10 chapters, the action shifts to the wild mountain area of Uji and
the adventures of Genji's "son" and grandson, Kaoru and Niou, who are
friends and rivals in love. The complex plot centres on the daughters of
Genji's religious half-brother, the Eighth Prince, and the impetuous Ukifune.
Uji River, scene of the last ten chapters of The Tale.

See the list of principal characters and background to the Tale of Genji.

Synopsis of Chapters 1-5

Chapter 1: The Paulownia Court

The emperor's favourite lady, Kiritsubo, has no strong family backing at

court and suffers greatly from the insults of jealous competitors. She bears
the emperor a beautiful son, which makes matters worse as he may one day
be a rival to the future crown prince, the emperor's eldest son. Kiritsubo falls
ill and dies, so the child is taken in by his grandmother. The emperor is
distraught and asks for the boy to be sent back. Eventually he returns to the
palace and the grandmother dies shortly afterwards. Korean ambassadors
arrive in the capital and predict a brilliant future for the six-year-old boy.

Although of royal blood, the boy has no maternal relatives to support him as
a prince at court and is instead made a member of the non-royal Genji clan,
henceforth being known as "Genji." The emperor's eldest son by Lady
Kokiden is made crown prince and the emperor subsequently finds a new
concubine, Fujitsubo, who resembles Kiritsubo but has better family
connections. By the end of the chapter, Genji is married off to the daughter
of the Minister of the Left, Princess Aoi.

Chapter 2: The Broom Tree

The first part of this chapter is the famous "Appraisal of Women on a Rainy
Night" scene. Genji and his brother-in-law To-no-Chujo meet at Genji's
palace and compare notes about women. They are joined by a guards officer
and other friends. The guardsman casually suggests there may be a
beautiful unknown woman hidden away somewhere because her family has
fallen upon hard times. Genji then falls asleep as his companions discuss
several types of women, all of whom he will meet later in the Tale. After
Genji wakes, Chujo tells the story of a lover - who is later revealed to be
Yugao - who bore his daughter but was discarded because of her meek and
forgiving nature. Shikibu, a young man from the Ministry of Rites, tells the
gathering of a lady who was too scholarly, preferring the rather masculine
Chinese language to Japanese, and whose breath on one occasion had
smelled of garlic. The friends decide that the perfect woman should be loyal
and cultured, but passive and willing to feign ignorance when the situation
requires.

The scene then shifts to Sanjo, where Genji is visiting his wife Aoi, but he
finds her distant and cold. Since his home lies in an unlucky direction, Genji
is invited to Kii-no-kami's house. Kii-no-kami's father has married a young
lady, and Genji overhears her apparently discussing himself. Genji also
meets an attractive young boy, her brother, and Kii-no-kami's stepuncle.
When everyone is asleep, Genji breaks into the lady's apartment and carries
her off to his room. Leaving the next day, Genji employs the boy as a page
and has him deliver messages to his sister, but the lady discourages any
further relationship. Genji manages to visit her once more but is rebuffed,
leaving him to write a poem about the inhospitable broom tree and sleep
with her young brother instead.

Chapter 3: The Shell of the Locust

Hurt by the rejection, Genji is unwilling to give up his pursuit of Utsusemi

("the lady of the locust shell"). Her young brother sympathizes and resolves
to help him try again. Wearing plain clothes, Genji sneaks into her rooms
and spies her playing Go with a lively companion, Nokiba-no-ogi. After the
game, Genji prepares to surprise Utsusemi but she catches the distinctive
scent of his robes and flees, leaving one of her own outer robes behind.
Genji mistakenly breaks in on her companion and is forced to improvise. He
then returns home sulking and pens a poem comparing Utsusemi's robe to a
cast-off cicada shell.

Chapter 4: Evening Faces

On his way to visit Lady Rokujo, Genji learns that his old nursemaid, who
has since become a Buddhist nun, is sick and may be near death, so he goes
to visit her with her natural son, Koremitsu. At a nearby house, they are
admiring the beautiful flowers calledyugao ("evening faces"), when a little
girl comes out with a scented white fan for Genji to take a flower on.

They then go in to visit the nun, and she shows an even greater attachment
to Genji than to her own son. On his way out, Genji's curiosity is aroused by
whoever might be in the house of yugao, so he sends Koremitsu to
investigate, who reports back that To-no-Chujo had been there and that a
lady evidently resided within. Genji cannot resist, so he disguises himself
and arranges a secret meeting through her maid, Ukon.

Yugao is a very frail, submissive beauty, and Genji is reminded of To-no-

Chujo's rainy night story. Unlike To-no-Chujo, however, Genji is attracted by
this gentility, and resolves to take her away. Unable to resist, and very
frightened, Yugao is rushed off with Ukon to a deserted mansion. That night,
Genji dreams of a jealous lady resembling Lady Rokujo, and when he wakes
he sees an apparition by Yugao's pillow. He tries to wake her, but she is no
longer breathing. Genji panics, wakes Ukon and Koremitsu, but it is too late,
she is dead. Koremitsu sends Genji back to his palace at Nijo and takes her
body to a nunnery in the eastern hills for funeral rites.

At Nijo, Genji is unsettled by recent events and cannot appear at court. He

sets out on horseback with Koremitsu to see Yugao's body, but on the return
journey he feels ill and falls off his horse. The illness lasts for quite some
time, and when he recovers he confirms with Ukon that Yugao was in fact
To-no-Chujo's mistress. Genji retains Ukon and asks her to find Yugao's
daughter, intending to raise her himself. The chapter end with a final poetic
exchange with Utsusemi, whom Genji also loses.

Chapter 5: Waka Murasaki

Genji is sick and decides to seek help from a holy man living in a cave in the
northern hills. He goes there and receives treatment from the recluse. While
recovering, his attendants tell him the story of a Governor of Akashi who
became a lay priest and retired there with his daughter, for whom he had
great expectations.

During his convalesence in the hills, Genji wanders to a nearby house and
catches a glimse of a beautiful 10-year-old girl, who reminds him of
Fujitsubo, the favourite concubine of his father, the emperor. The priest at
the villa invites Genji to visit, during the course of which he discovers that
the child Murasaki is in fact Fujitsubo's niece. Genji - already smitten with
Fujitsubo - seeks to adopt the child but is not taken seriously.

When fully recovered from his illness, Genji asks again about adopting
Murasaki, but is again refused. To-no-Chujo and some friends from court
arrive to escort him back. Back at court, Genji's father-in-law arrives and
takes him to meet Aoi, who turns out to be cold and unreceptive. Genji
sleeps and dreams of the little girl. The next day he renews his request to
adopt Murasaki, this time by letter, but without success.
Fujitsubo leaves court due to an illness and, through her maid Omyobu,
Genji arranges a secret visit and stays the night. Fujitsubo becomes
pregnant, but the emperor is unaware of Genji's role in this. Meanwhile, the
little girl is made available for adoption because her grandmother, the nun,
has died. However, Murasaki's father, Prince Hyobu, decides to take charge
of her and Genji is forced to kidnap her before he does so. Back at his Nijo
palace, Genji begins her education.

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Sources:

 The Tale of Genji (Tyler)

 The Tale of Genji (Seidensticker)
 Tale of Genji: A Reader's Guide (analysis/summary of chapters)
 The World of the Shining Prince: Court Life in Ancient Japan
 Murasaki Shikibu, The Tale of Genji - A Student Guide (analysis)
 The Bridge of Dreams: A Poetics of the "Tale of Genji" (analysis)

Other related books.

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