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A premium puzzle featuring the beautiful art of Waki Yamato
1988 "STORY OF GENJI" 500-PIECE JIGSAW PUZZLE FROM CENTRAL HOBBY
DETAILS:
Brand: Central Hobby
Title: "Story Of Genji" (あさきゆめみし, Asakiyumemishi)
Artist: Waki Yamato
Year: 1988
Product No.: 52-359
Availability: Retired
Size: 380 x 520 mm (approximately 15 inches x 20.5 inches)
Piece Count: 500
Features puzzle art based on the first-ever novel written !
The puzzle is a colored illustration of Prince Hikaru Genji removing his shoes while sitting atop a cherry blossom tree. The artwork was created by Waki Yamato in the 1980s as part of her manga series Asaki Yumemishi: Genji Monogatari. This manga is Yamato's renowned adaptation of Murasaki Shikibu’s 11th century, Tale of Genji - the very first novel written in all of recorded history.
The original artwork was hand inked and colored by Yamato. She paid particular attention to the floral patterns on the robes worn by Genji. The patterns of the robes were carefully selected by Yamato to reflect the traits of Genji.
The cherry blossoms surrounding Genji are a symbol of Genji himself. According to legend the mountain cherry blossoms are very rare and only bloom once every three thousand years. These mountain cherry blossoms symbolize the rarity of a person like Genji who is handsome, regal, poetic and an ideal of manhood - in short he's perfect.
The art on this puzzle was featured on the cover of the 1989 edition of Asaki Yumemishi: Genji Monogatari Volume 1. It was also featured on the 2019 release of the English translation of The Tale of Genji: Dreams at Dawn Volume 1.
This puzzle was produced by Central Hobby – a Japanese jigsaw puzzle company. Central Hobby is known for creating quality/well-made puzzles through the 1980s and 1990s. This puzzle is part of the Central Hobby "Sunday Puzzle" series which is an easygoing style of jigsaw puzzle. The puzzle pieces are constructed of thick cardboard.
A retired and very rare manga-themed puzzle!
The puzzle was released in the late 1980s in Japan. The puzzle is retired and very hard to find.
CONDITION:
New/Like-new; sealed. This awesome puzzle is new in box with shrink wrap. The
shrink wrap and box have acquired some storage wear/damage. The shrink wrap has a few tears/rips and the box has a small puncture and corner wear. Please
see photos.
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"The Tale of Genji (源氏物語, Genji monogatari, pronounced [ɡeɲdʑi monoɡaꜜtaɾi]) is a classic work of Japanese literature written in the early 11th century by the noblewoman and lady-in-waiting Murasaki Shikibu. The original manuscript, created around the peak of the Heian period, no longer exists. It was made in "concertina" or orihon style:[1] several sheets of paper pasted together and folded alternately in one direction then the other.
The work is a unique depiction of the lifestyles of high courtiers during the Heian period. It is written in archaic language and a poetic and complex style that make it unreadable to the average Japanese speaker without specialized study.[2] It was not until the early 20th century that Genji was translated into modern Japanese by the poet Akiko Yosano. The first English translation was attempted in 1882 by Suematsu Kencho, but was of poor quality and incomplete.
The work recounts the life of Hikaru Genji, or "Shining Genji", who is the son of an ancient Japanese emperor (known to readers as Emperor Kiritsubo) and a low-ranking concubine called Kiritsubo Consort. For political reasons, the emperor removes Genji from the line of succession, demoting him to a commoner by giving him the surname Minamoto, and he pursues a career as an imperial officer. The tale concentrates on Genji's romantic life and describes the customs of the aristocratic society of the time. It may be the world's first novel,[3] the first psychological novel, and the first novel still to be considered a classic particularly in the context of Japanese literature....
Historical context
Murasaki was writing at the height of the Fujiwara clan's power—Fujiwara no Michinaga was the Regent in all but name, and the most significant political figure of his day. Consequently, Murasaki is believed to have partially informed the character of Genji through her experience of Michinaga.
The Tale of Genji may have been written chapter by chapter in installments, as Murasaki delivered the tale to aristocratic women (ladies-in-waiting). It has many elements found in a modern novel: a central character and a very large number of major and minor characters, well-developed characterization of all the major players, a sequence of events covering the central character's lifetime and beyond. There is no specified plot, but events happen and characters simply grow older. Despite a dramatis personæ of some four hundred characters, it maintains internal consistency; for instance, all characters age in step, and both family and feudal relationships stay intact throughout.
One complication for readers and translators of the Genji is that almost none of the characters in the original text are given an explicit name. The characters are instead referred to by their function or role (e.g. Minister of the Left), an honorific (e.g. His Excellency), or their relation to other characters (e.g. Heir Apparent), which changes as the novel progresses. This lack of names stems from Heian-era court manners that would have made it unacceptably familiar and blunt to freely mention a person's given name. Modern readers and translators have used various nicknames to keep track of the many characters.
Authorship
Murasaki Shikibu, illustration by Tosa Mitsuoki who created a series of illustrations of The Tale of Genji (17th century)
There is debate over how much of Genji was actually written by Murasaki Shikibu. Debates over the novel's authorship have gone on for centuries, and are unlikely to ever be settled unless some major archival discovery is made.
It is generally accepted that the tale was finished in its present form by 1021, when the author of the Sarashina Nikki wrote a diary entry about her joy at acquiring a complete copy of the tale. She writes that there are over 50 chapters and mentions a character introduced at the end of the work, so if other authors besides Murasaki did work on the tale, the work was finished very near to the time of her writing. Murasaki's own diary includes a reference to the tale, and indeed the application to herself of the name 'Murasaki' in an allusion to the main female character. That entry confirms that some if not all of the diary was available in 1008 when internal evidence convincingly suggests that the entry was written.[4]
Murasaki is said to have written the character of Genji based on the Minister on the Left at the time she was at court. Other translators, such as Tyler, believe the character Murasaki no Ue, whom Genji marries, is based on Murasaki Shikibu herself.
Yosano Akiko, the first author to make a modern Japanese translation of Genji, believed that Murasaki had only written chapters 1 to 33, and that chapters 35 to 54 were written by her daughter, Daini no Sanmi.[5] Other scholars have also doubted the authorship of chapters 42 to 54 (particularly 44, which contains rare examples of continuity mistakes).[5] According to Royall Tyler's introduction to his English translation of the work, recent[when?] computer analysis has turned up "statistically significant" discrepancies of style between chapters 45–54 and the rest, and also among the early chapters.[5]
Plot
Chapter 15 – Yomogiu (蓬生, "Waste of Weeds"). Scene from the 12th-century illustrated handscroll Genji Monogatari Emaki kept at the Tokugawa Art Museum.
Chapter 16 – Sekiya (関屋, "At The Pass")
Chapter 37 – Yokobue (横笛, "Flute").
Chapter 39 – Yūgiri (夕霧, "Evening Mist"). 12th-century Gotoh Museum handscroll.
Chapter 48 – Sawarabi (早蕨, "Bracken Shoots"). Tokugawa Art Museum's illustrated handscroll.
Chapter 49 – Yadorigi (宿り木, "Ivy"). Tokugawa Art Museum's illustrated handscroll.
Genji's mother dies when he is three years old, and the Emperor cannot forget her. The Emperor Kiritsubo then hears of a woman (Lady Fujitsubo), formerly a princess of the preceding emperor, who resembles his deceased concubine, and later she becomes one of his wives. Genji loves her first as a stepmother, but later as a woman, and they fall in love with each other. Genji is frustrated by his forbidden love for the Lady Fujitsubo and is on bad terms with his own wife (Aoi no Ue, the Lady Aoi). He engages in a series of love affairs with other women. These are however unfulfilling, as in most cases his advances are rebuffed, or his lover dies suddenly, or he becomes bored.
Genji visits Kitayama, a rural hilly area north of Kyoto, where he finds a beautiful ten-year-old girl. He is fascinated by this little girl (Murasaki), and discovers that she is a niece of the Lady Fujitsubo. Finally he kidnaps her, brings her to his own palace and educates her to be like the Lady Fujitsubo, who is his womanly ideal. During this time Genji also meets Lady Fujitsubo secretly, and she bears his son, Reizei. Everyone except the two lovers believes the father of the child is the Emperor Kiritsubo. Later the boy becomes the Crown Prince and Lady Fujitsubo becomes the Empress, but Genji and Lady Fujitsubo swear to keep the child's true parentage secret.
Genji and his wife, Lady Aoi, reconcile. She gives birth to a son but dies soon after. Genji is sorrowful but finds consolation in Murasaki, whom he marries. Genji's father, the Emperor Kiritsubo, dies. He is succeeded by his son Suzaku, whose mother (Kokiden), together with Kiritsubo's political enemies, take power in the court. Then another of Genji's secret love affairs is exposed: Genji and a concubine of the Emperor Suzaku are discovered while meeting in secret. The Emperor Suzaku confides his personal amusement at Genji's exploits with the woman (Oborozukiyo), but is duty-bound to punish Genji even though he is his half-brother. He exiles Genji to the town of Suma in rural Harima Province (now part of Kobe in Hyōgo Prefecture). There, a prosperous man known as the Akashi Novice (because he is from Akashi in Settsu Province) entertains Genji, and Genji has an affair with Akashi's daughter. She gives birth to Genji's only daughter, who will later become the Empress.
In the capital the Emperor Suzaku is troubled by dreams of his late father, Kiritsubo, and something begins to affect his eyes. Meanwhile, his mother, Kokiden, grows ill, which weakens her influence over the throne, and leads to the Emperor ordering Genji to be pardoned. Genji returns to Kyoto. His son by Lady Fujitsubo, Reizei, becomes the emperor. The new Emperor Reizei knows Genji is his real father, and raises Genji's rank to the highest possible.
However, when Genji turns 40 years old, his life begins to decline. His political status does not change, but his love and emotional life begin to incrementally diminish as middle age takes hold. He marries another wife, the Third Princess (known as Onna san no miya in the Seidensticker version, or Nyōsan in Waley's). Genji's nephew, Kashiwagi, later forces himself on the Third Princess, and she bears Kaoru (who, in a similar situation to that of Reizei, is legally known as the son of Genji). Genji's new marriage changes his relationship with Murasaki, who had expressed her wish of becoming a nun (bikuni) though the wish was rejected by Genji.
Genji's beloved Murasaki dies. In the following chapter, Maboroshi ("Illusion"), Genji contemplates how fleeting life is. Immediately after the chapter titled Maboroshi, there is a chapter titled Kumogakure ("Vanished into the Clouds"), which is left blank, but implies the death of Genji.
Chapter 45–54 are known as the "Uji Chapters". These chapters follow Kaoru and his best friend, Niou. Niou is an imperial prince, the son of Genji's daughter, the current Empress now that Reizei has abdicated the throne, while Kaoru is known to the world as Genji's son but is in fact fathered by Genji's nephew. The chapters involve Kaoru and Niou's rivalry over several daughters of an imperial prince who lives in Uji, a place some distance away from the capital. The tale ends abruptly, with Kaoru wondering if Niou is hiding Kaoru's former lover away from him. Kaoru has sometimes been called the first anti-hero in literature.[6]
Completion
The tale has an abrupt ending. Opinions vary on whether this was intended by the author. Arthur Waley, who made the first English translation of the whole of The Tale of Genji, believed that the work as we have it was finished. Ivan Morris, however, author of The World of the Shining Prince, believed that it was not complete and that later chapters were missing. Edward Seidensticker, who made the second translation of the Genji, believed that Murasaki Shikibu had not had a planned story structure with an ending as such but would simply have continued writing as long as she could.
Literary context
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Because it was written to entertain the Japanese court of the 11th century, the work presents many difficulties to modern readers. First and foremost, Murasaki's language, Heian-period court Japanese, was highly inflected and had very complex grammar. Another problem is that naming people was considered rude in Heian court society, so none of the characters are named within the work; instead, the narrator refers to men often by their rank or their station in life, and to women often by the color of their clothing, or by the words used at a meeting, or by the rank of a prominent male relative. This results in different appellations for the same character depending on the chapter.
Another aspect of the language is the importance of using poetry in conversations. Modifying or rephrasing a classic poem according to the current situation was expected behavior in Heian court life, and often served to communicate thinly veiled allusions. The poems in the Genji are often in the classic Japanese tanka form. Many of the poems were well known to the intended audience, so usually only the first few lines are given and the reader is supposed to complete the thought themselves, leaving the rest – which the reader would be expected to know – unspoken.
As with most Heian literature, Genji was probably written mostly (or perhaps entirely) in kana (Japanese phonetic script) and not in kanji, because it was written by a woman for a female audience. Writing in kanji was at the time a masculine pursuit; women were generally discreet when using kanji, confining themselves mostly to native Japanese words (yamato kotoba).
Outside of vocabulary related to politics and Buddhism, Genji contains remarkably few Chinese loan words (kango). This has the effect of giving the story a very even, smooth flow. However, it also introduces confusion: there are a number of homophones (words with the same pronunciation but different meanings), and for modern readers, context is not always sufficient to determine which meaning was intended.
Structure
Outline
The novel is traditionally divided into three parts, the first two dealing with the life of Genji and the last with the early years of two of Genji's prominent descendants, Niou and Kaoru. There are also several short transitional chapters which are usually grouped separately and whose authorships are sometimes questioned.
Genji's rise and fall
Youth, chapters 1–33: Love, romance, and exile
Success and setbacks, chapters 34–41: A taste of power and the death of his beloved wife
The transition (chapters 42–44): Very short episodes following Genji's death
Uji, chapters 45–54: Genji's official and secret descendants, Niou and Kaoru
The 54th and last chapter, "The Floating Bridge of Dreams", is sometimes argued by modern scholars to be a separate part from the Uji part. It seems to continue the story from the previous chapters but has an unusually abstract chapter title. It is the only chapter whose title has no clear reference within the text, although this may be due to the chapter being unfinished. This question is made more difficult by the fact that we do not know exactly when the chapters acquired their titles.
List of chapters
The English translations here are taken from the Arthur Waley, the Edward Seidensticker, the Royall Tyler, and the Dennis Washburn translations. It is not known for certain when the chapters acquired their titles. Early mentions of the Tale refer to chapter numbers, or contain alternate titles for some of the chapters. This may suggest that the titles were added later. The titles are largely derived from poetry that is quoted within the text, or allusions to various characters.
Chapter 5 – Wakamurasaki (若紫, "Young Murasaki"). Tosa Mitsuoki, 1617–91.
Chapter 20 – Asagao (朝顔, "The Bluebell"). Tosa Mitsuoki.
Chapter 42 – Niō no Miya (匂宮, "The Perfumed Prince"). Tosa Mitsuoki.
Chapter 50 – Azumaya (東屋, "Eastern Cottage"). 12th-century Tokugawa Art Museum handscroll.
Chapter Japanese Waley Seidensticker Tyler Washburn
01 Kiritsubo (桐壺) "Kiritsubo" "The Paulownia Court" "The Paulownia Pavilion" "The Lady of the Paulownia-Courtyard Chambers"
02 Hahakigi (帚木) "The Broom-Tree" "Broom Cypress"
03 Utsusemi (空蝉) "Utsusemi" "The Shell of the Locust" "The Cicada Shell" "A Molted Cicada Shell"
04 Yūgao (夕顔) "Yugao" "Evening Faces" "The Twilight Beauty" "The Lady of the Evening Faces"
05 Wakamurasaki (若紫) "Murasaki" "Lavender" "Young Murasaki" "Little Purple Gromwell"
06 Suetsumuhana (末摘花) "The Saffron-Flower" "The Safflower"
07 Momiji no Ga (紅葉賀) "The Festival of Red Leaves" "An Autumn Excursion" "Beneath the Autumn Leaves" "An Imperial Celebration of Autumn Foliages"
08 Hana no En (花宴) "The Flower Feast" "The Festival of the Cherry Blossoms" "Under the Cherry Blossoms" "A Banquet Celebrating Cherry Blossoms"
09 Aoi (葵) "Aoi" "Heartvine" "Heart-to-Heart" "Leaves of Wild Ginger"
10 Sakaki (榊) "The Sacred Tree" "The Green Branch" "A Branch of Sacred Evergreens"
11 Hana Chiru Sato (花散里) "The Village of Falling Flowers" "The Orange Blossoms" "Falling Flowers" "The Lady at the Villa of Scattering Orange Blossoms"
12 Suma (須磨) "Exile at Suma" "Suma" "Exile to Suma"
13 Akashi (明石) "Akashi" "The Lady at Akashi"
14 Miotsukushi (澪標) "The Flood Gauge" "Channel Buoys" "The Pilgrimage to Sumiyoshi" "Channel Markers"
15 Yomogiu (蓬生) "The Palace in the Tangled Woods" "The Wormwood Patch" "A Waste of Weeds" "A Ruined Villa of Tangled Gardens"
16 Sekiya (関屋) "A Meeting at the Frontier" "The Gatehouse" "At the Pass" "The Barrier Gate"
17 E Awase (絵合) "The Picture Competition" "A Picture Contest" "The Picture Contest" "A Contest of Illustrations"
18 Matsukaze (松風) "The Wind in the Pine-Trees" "The Wind in the Pines" "Wind in the Pines"
19 Usugumo (薄雲) "A Wreath of Cloud" "A Rack of Clouds" "Wisps of Cloud" "A Thin Veil of Clouds"
20 Asagao (朝顔) "Asagao" "The Morning Glory" "The Bluebell" "Bellflowers"
21 Otome (乙女) "The Maiden" "The Maidens" "Maidens of the Dance"
22 Tamakazura (玉鬘) "Tamakatsura" "The Jewelled Chaplet" "The Tendril Wreath" "A Lovely Garland"
23 Hatsune (初音) "The First Song of the Year" "The First Warbler" "The Warbler's First Song" "First Song of Spring"
24 Kochō (胡蝶) "The Butterflies" "Butterflies"
25 Hotaru (螢) "The Glow-Worm" "Fireflies" "The Fireflies" "Fireflies"
26 Tokonatsu (常夏) "A Bed of Carnations" "Wild Carnation" "The Pink" "Wild Pinks"
27 Kagaribi (篝火) "The Flares" "Flares" "The Cressets" "Cresset Fires"
28 Nowaki (野分) "The Typhoon" "An Autumn Tempest"
29 Miyuki (行幸) "The Royal Visit" "The Royal Outing" "The Imperial Progress" "An Imperial Excursion"
30 Fujibakama (藤袴) "Blue Trousers" "Purple Trousers" "Thoroughwort Flowers" "Mistflowers"
31 Makibashira (真木柱) "Makibashira" "The Cypress Pillar" "The Handsome Pillar" "A Beloved Pillar of Cypress"
32 Umegae (梅枝) "The Spray of Plum-Blossom" "A Branch of Plum" "The Plum Tree Branch" "A Branch of Plum"
33 Fuji no Uraba (藤裏葉) "Fuji no Uraba" "Wisteria Leaves" "New Wisteria Leaves" "Shoots of Wisteria Leaves"
34 Wakana: Jō (若菜上) "Wakana, Part I" "New Herbs, Part I" "Spring Shoots I" "Early Spring Genesis: Part 1"
35 Wakana: Ge (若菜下) "Wakana, Part II" "New Herbs, Part II" "Spring Shoots II" "Early Spring Genesis: Part 2"
36 Kashiwagi (柏木) "Kashiwagi" "The Oak Tree"
37 Yokobue (横笛) "The Flute" "The Transverse Flute"
38 Suzumushi (鈴虫) (omitted) "The Bell Cricket" "Bell Crickets"
39 Yūgiri (夕霧) "Yugiri" "Evening Mist"
40 Minori (御法) "The Law" "Rites" "The Law" "Rites of Sacred Law"
41 Maboroshi (幻) "Mirage" "The Wizard" "The Seer" "Spirit Summoner"
X Kumogakure (雲隠) "Vanished into the Clouds"
42 Niō Miya (匂宮) "Niou" "His Perfumed Highness" "The Perfumed Prince" "The Fragrant Prince"
43 Kōbai (紅梅) "Kobai" "The Rose Plum" "Red Plum Blossoms" "Red Plum"
44 Takekawa (竹河) "Bamboo River"
45 Hashihime (橋姫) "The Bridge Maiden" "The Lady at the Bridge" "The Maiden of the Bridge" "The Divine Princess at Uji Bridge"
46 Shii ga Moto (椎本) "At the Foot of the Oak-Tree" "Beneath the Oak" "At the Foot of the Oak Tree"
47 Agemaki (総角) "Agemaki" "Trefoil Knots" "A Bowknot Tied in Maiden's Loops"
48 Sawarabi (早蕨) "Fern-Shoots" "Early Ferns" "Bracken Shoots" "Early Fiddlehead Greens"
49 Yadorigi (宿木) "The Mistletoe" "The Ivy" "Trees Encoiled in Vines of Ivy"
50 Azumaya (東屋) "The Eastern House" "The Eastern Cottage" "A Hut in the Eastern Provinces"
51 Ukifune (浮舟) "Ukifune" "A Boat upon the Waters" "A Drifting Boat" "A Boat Cast Adrift"
52 Kagerō (蜻蛉) "The Gossamer-Fly" "The Drake Fly" "The Mayfly" "Ephemerids"
53 Tenarai (手習) "Writing-Practice" "The Writing Practice" "Writing Practice" "Practising Calligraphy"
54 Yume no Ukihashi (夢浮橋) "The Bridge of Dreams" "The Floating Bridge of Dreams" "A Floating Bridge in a Dream"
The additional chapter between 41 and 42 in some manuscripts is called Kumogakure (雲隠) which means "Vanished into the Clouds"—the chapter is a title only, and is probably intended to evoke Genji's death. Some scholars have posited the earlier existence of a chapter between 1 and 2 which would have introduced some characters that seem to appear very abruptly in the book as it stands.
The Waley translation completely omits the 38th chapter.
Later authors have composed additional chapters, most often either between 41 and 42, or after the end.
Manuscripts
Main article: Textual tradition of The Tale of Genji
The original manuscript written by Murasaki Shikibu no longer exists. Numerous copies, totaling around 300 according to Ikeda Kikan, exist with differences between each. It is thought that Shikibu often went back and edited early manuscripts introducing discrepancies with earlier copies.[7]
The various manuscripts are classified into three categories:[8][9]
Kawachibon (河内本)
Aobyōshibon (青表紙本)
Beppon (別本)
In the 13th century, two major attempts by Minamoto no Chikayuki and Fujiwara Teika were made to edit and revise the differing manuscripts. The Chikayuki manuscript is known as the Kawachibon; edits were many beginning in 1236 and completing in 1255. The Teika manuscript is known as the Aobyōshibon; its edits are more conservative and thought to better represent the original. These two manuscripts were used as the basis for many future copies.
The Beppon category represents all other manuscripts not belonging to either Kawachibon or Aobyōshibon. This includes older but incomplete manuscripts, mixed manuscripts derived from both Kawachibon and Aobyōshibon, and commentaries.
On March 10, 2008, it was announced that a late Kamakura period (1192–1333) manuscript had been found in Kyoto,[10][11] containing the sixth chapter, Suetsumuhana; the manuscript was 65 pages in length. Most remaining manuscripts are based on copies of the Teika manuscript which introduced revisions in the original; this manuscript, however, belongs to a different lineage and was not influenced by Teika. Professor Yamamoto Tokurō, who examined the manuscript, said, "This is a precious discovery as Kamakura manuscripts are so rare." Professor Katō Yōsuke said, "This is an important discovery as it asserts that non-Teika manuscripts were being read during the Kamakura period."
On October 29, 2008, Konan Women's University announced that a mid-Kamakura period manuscript had been found,[12][13][14] containing the 32nd chapter, Umegae. The manuscript was recognized as the oldest extant copy of this chapter, dating to between 1240 and 1280. The manuscript, considered to be of the Beppon category, is 74 pages in length and differs from Aobyōshi manuscripts in at least four places, raising the "possibility that the contents may be closer to the undiscovered Murasaki Shikibu original manuscript".[12]
On October 9, 2019, it was announced that an original copy of Teika's Aobyōshibon had been found in Tokyo at the home of the current head of the Okochi-Matsudaira clan, who ran the Yoshida Domain. The manuscript is the 5th chapter, Wakamurasaki (若紫), and is the oldest version of the chapter. Blue ink common in Teika's manuscript and handwriting analysis confirmed that the manuscript was written by Teika, making it among the 5 original versions of the Aobyōshibon known to exist.[15]
Illustrated scrolls
Late-16th- or early-17th-century hanging scroll in ink and gold leaf illustrating a scene from Genji.
Numerous illustrations of scenes from Genji have been produced, most notably a 12th-century scroll, the Genji Monogatari Emaki, containing illustrated scenes from Genji together with handwritten sōgana text. This scroll is the earliest extant example of a Japanese "picture scroll": collected illustrations and calligraphy of a single work. The original scroll is believed to have comprised 10–20 rolls and covered all 54 chapters. The extant pieces include only 19 illustrations and 65 pages of text, plus nine pages of fragments. This is estimated at 15% of the envisioned original.
The Tokugawa Art Museum in Nagoya has three of the scrolls handed down in the Owari branch of the Tokugawa clan and one scroll held by the Hachisuka family is now in the Gotoh Museum in Tokyo. The scrolls are designated National Treasures of Japan. The scrolls are so fragile that they normally are not shown in public. The original scrolls in the Tokugawa Museum were shown from November 21 to November 29 in 2009. Since 2001, they have been displayed in the Tokugawa Museum annually for around one week in November. An oversize English photoreproduction and translation was published in limited edition in 1971 by Kodansha International.[16]
Other notable illustrated scrolls of Genji are by Tosa Mitsuoki, who lived from 1617 to 1691. His paintings are closely based on Heian style from the existing scrolls from the 12th century and are fully complete. The tale was also a popular theme in ukiyo-e prints from the Edo period.
Modern readership
Japanese
Pages from the illustrated handscroll from the 12th century
The Tale of Genji was written in an archaic court language, and a century after its completion it was unreadable without specialized study. Annotated and illustrated versions existed as early as the 12th century.[17] It was not until the early 20th century that Genji was translated into modern Japanese, by the poet Akiko Yosano.[18] Therefore, translations into modern Japanese and other languages solve these problems by modernizing the language, unfortunately losing some of the meaning, and by giving names to the characters, usually the traditional names used by academics. This gives rise to anachronisms; for instance, Genji's first wife is named Aoi because she is known as the lady of the Aoi chapter, in which she dies.
Both scholars and writers have tried translating it. The first translation into modern Japanese was made by the poet Yosano Akiko. Other known translations were done by the novelists Jun'ichirō Tanizaki and Fumiko Enchi.
Because of the cultural differences, reading an annotated version of the Genji is quite common, even among Japanese readers. There are several annotated versions by novelists, including Seiko Tanabe, Jakucho Setouchi and Osamu Hashimoto.[19] Many works, including a manga series and different television dramas, are derived from The Tale of Genji. There have been at least five manga adaptations of Genji.[20] A manga version was created by Waki Yamato, Asakiyumemishi (The Tale of Genji in English), and a current version by Sugimura Yoshimitsu[21][better source needed] is in progress. Another manga, Genji Monogatari, by Miyako Maki, won the Shogakukan Manga Award in 1989.[22]
English translations
The first partial translation of Genji into English was by Suematsu Kenchō, published in 1882. Arthur Waley published a six-volume translation of all but one chapter, with the first volume published in 1925 and the last in 1933.[23] In 1976, Edward Seidensticker published the first complete translation into English, made using a self-consciously "stricter" approach with regards to content if not form.[24] The English translation published in 2001 by Royall Tyler aims at fidelity in content and form to the original text.[5] The most recently written ("Genji and the Luck of the Sea") dates from 2007. Its initial version has been extensively revised, retitled, and updated for this publication.[25]
As of 2008, WorldCat identifies 88 editions of Genji. The major translations into English are each slightly different, mirroring the personal choices of the translator and the period in which the translation was made. Each version has its merits, its detractors and its advocates, and each is distinguished by the name of the translator. For example, the version translated by Arthur Waley would typically be referred to as "the Waley Genji".
Major English translations
In chronological order:
The Suematsu Genji (1882) – Suematsu's Genji was the first translation into English, but is considered of poor quality and is not often read today. Significantly, only a few chapters were completed.
The Waley Genji (1925–1933) – Waley's Genji is considered a great achievement for his time,[26] although some purists have criticized Waley's changes to the original.[27] Others have criticized as overly-free the manner in which Waley translated the original text. Regardless, it continues to be well-appreciated and widely read today.[28] When the Waley Genji was first published, it was eagerly received. For example, Time explained that "the reviewers' floundering tributes indicate something of its variegated appeal. In limpid prose The Tale combines curiously modern social satire with great charm of narrative. Translator Waley has done service to literature in salvaging to the Occident this masterpiece of the Orient."[29]
The Seidensticker Genji (1976) – Seidensticker's Genji is an attempt to correct what were perceived to have been Waley's failings without necessarily making his translation obsolete. Seidensticker hews more closely to the original text, but in the interests of readability, he takes some liberties. For example, he identifies most of the characters by name so that the narrative can be more easily followed by a broad-based audience of Western readers. (In 2008, a 4,400-page Braille version of the Seidensticker Genji was completed. This Braille edition was the product of five Japanese housewives from Setagaya, Tokyo, working voluntarily for five years and was subsequently donated to the Japan Braille Library (日本点字図書館) and the Library of Congress. It is also available for download.)[30]
The McCullough Genji (1994) – An abridgement.
The Tyler Genji (2001) – Tyler's Genji contains more extensive explanatory footnotes and commentary than the previous translations, describing the numerous poetical allusions and cultural aspects of the tale. Tyler consciously attempted to mimic the original style in ways that the previous translations did not. For example, this version does not use names for most characters, identifying them instead by their titles in a manner which was conventional in the context of the 11th-century original text. Writing for the New York Times, reviewer Janice Nimura described it as "wonderfully evocative of the original, [but] can be difficult to follow".[31] Tyler's version "makes a special virtue of attending to a certain ceremonial indirectness in the way the characters address one another. The great temptation for a translator is to say the unsaid things, and Tyler never gives in to it."[attribution needed][32] This has been praised by some critics[who?] as "preserving more of what once seemed unfamiliar or strange to English readers",[attribution needed] as understanding the culture of Murasaki's time is arguably a chief reason for reading Genji.[28]
The Washburn Genji (2015) – Dennis Washburn's Genji separates the poems from the prose and puts interior thoughts in italics. The translation has been received slightly more controversially than Tyler's, with most criticism aimed at the perceived over-clarification of the text and addition of modern colloquialisms.[33]
Reception and legacy
The Tale of Genji is an important work of Japanese literature, and modern authors have cited it as inspiration, such as Jorge Luis Borges who said of it, "The Tale of Genji, as translated by Arthur Waley, is written with an almost miraculous naturalness, and what interests us is not the exoticism—the horrible word—but rather the human passions of the novel. Such interest is just: Murasaki's work is what one would quite precisely call a psychological novel ... I dare to recommend this book to those who read me. The English translation that has inspired this brief insufficient note is called The Tale of Genji."[34] It is noted for its internal consistency, psychological depiction, and characterization. The novelist Yasunari Kawabata said in his Nobel Prize acceptance speech: "The Tale of Genji in particular is the highest pinnacle of Japanese literature. Even down to our day there has not been a piece of fiction to compare with it."
2000 yen note with The Tale of Genji and Murasaki Shikibu on the right corner
The Genji is also often referred to as "the first novel",[35] though there is considerable debate over this—some of the debate involving whether Genji can even be considered a "novel". Some[who?] consider the psychological insight, complexity and unity of the work to qualify it for "novel" status while simultaneously disqualifying earlier works of prose fiction.[36] Others[who?] see these arguments as subjective and unconvincing.
Related claims, perhaps in an attempt to sidestep these debates, are that Genji is the "first psychological novel" or "historical novel",[37] "the first novel still considered to be a classic" or other more qualified terms. However, critics have almost consistently described The Tale of Genji as the oldest, first, and/or greatest novel in Japanese literature,[38][39] though enthusiastic proponents may have later neglected the qualifying category of 'in Japanese literature', leading to the debates over the book's place in world literature. Even in Japan, the Tale of Genji is not universally embraced; the lesser-known Ochikubo Monogatari has been proposed as the "world's first full-length novel", even though its author is unknown.[40] Despite these debates, The Tale of Genji enjoys solid respect among the works of literature, and its influence on Japanese literature has been compared to that of Philip Sidney's Arcadia on English literature.[38]
The novel and other works by Lady Murasaki are staple reading material in the curricula of Japanese schools. The Bank of Japan issued the 2000 yen banknote in her honor, featuring a scene from the novel based on the 12th-century illustrated handscroll. Since a 1 November 1008 entry in The Diary of Lady Murasaki is the oldest date on which a reference to The Tale of Genji has appeared, November 1 was designated as the official day to celebrate Japanese classics. According to Act on Classics Day, the "classics" that are honored not only include literature, but encompass a wide range of arts such as music, art, traditional performing arts, entertainment, lifestyle art including tea ceremony and flower arrangement and other cultural products.[41]
The names of the chapters became a central element a sort of incense based game called Genjikō, part of the larger practice of Monkō popular among the nobility. In Genjikō, players must match the scents of a series of five incense samples without being told the names of said samples. Each possible combination was matched to a symbol, called a genji-mon, that represented a chapter from the story.[42]
Adaptations in other media
12th-century illustrated hand scroll, Genji Monogatari Emaki
1951 film The Tale of Genji by Kōzaburō Yoshimura
1966 film by Kon Ichikawa
1980 manga Asaki Yume Mishi by Waki Yamato
1981 theatre performance run by the Takarazuka Revue
1987 anime film The Tale of Genji by Gisaburō Sugii – covers only the first 12 chapters, while adding in some psychological motivation that is not explicit in the novel.
1987 film O Desejado
1989 theatre performance run by the Takarazuka Revue
1988 manga by Miyako Maki
2000 opera by Miki Minoru
2001 film Sennen no Koi Story of Genji
2009 anime series Genji Monogatari Sennenki by Osamu Dezaki
2011 film Genji Monogatari: Sennen no Nazo
2015 theatre performance run by the Takarazuka Revue; actress Asumi Rio received the Agency for Cultural Affairs Arts Festival award for her portrayal of Genji." (wikipedia.org)
"Waki Yamato (大和 和紀, Yamato Waki, born March 13, 1948, in Sapporo) is a Japanese manga artist. She debuted in 1966 with the short story Dorobou Tenshi.[1][2]
Since her debut, Yamato steadily created and published a variety of works in the genre of shōjo manga. Among her early time works, Mon Cherie CoCo, 1971, was adapted into an anime television series, and her work, Haikara-san ga Tōru, 1975 to 1977, was very successful, winning the 1st Kodansha Manga Award for shōjo in 1977.[2][3] It was also made into a musical for the Takarazuka Revue, an anime series (which reached an international audience through TV broadcasts in Italy and France), and a live-action movie. Through these early works, she established her position as one of the most popular manga artists....
Works
After the success of Haikara-san ga Tōru, she continued to create many manga, including the comedy Aramis '78 (series), Yokohama Monogatari (The Story of Yokohama), and N. Y. Komachi (The Belle of New York). The latter two were historical manga, set during the Meiji period.
The heroines of these stories were active girls who traveled overseas. Yamato's early work Reidii Mitsuko (Lady Mitsuko), 1976, was based on the true story of Mitsuko Aoyama, who was the mother of Richard von Coudenhove-Kalergi.
Similarly, in Yokohama Monogatri, Uno visits California, marries her Japanese lover there and returns to Yokohama, while Mariko visits London to meet her Japanese husband. In N. Y. Komachi tomboy Shino travels to New York and becomes a camerawoman. At the end she settles in America with her husband Danny.
Asaki Yume Mishi
Yamato's major work is Asaki Yume Mishi. Yamato spent 13 years (1980–93) completing this famous long work, based on Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji. Yamato studied the historical details of the Heian period. But she made radical changes to the characters and plot, to fit contemporary mores. Yet her work remains one of the best visualizations of the Heian era.
List of works
Dorobou Tenshi, (どろぼう天使, Thief Angel) debut short work, 1966
Mon Cheri CoCo, (モンシェリCoCo) 1971
Adapted into an anime television series in 1972
Redii Mitsuko, (レディーミツコ, Lady Mitsuko[4]). 1975–1976
Haikara-san ga Tōru, (はいからさんが通る, "The Modern Girl Passes By") 1975–1977
Adapted into an anime television series in 1978-1979 and a live-action movie in 1987
Killa, (Killa) 1977–1978
Ten no Hate, Chi no Kagiri, (天の果て地の限り) 1978
Aramis ’78, (アラミス’78) 1978–1984
Kigen 2600 nen no Playball, (紀元2600年のプレイボール) 1979–1980
Gekkou-ju, (月光樹, Moonlight Shining Tree) 1980
Yokohama Monogatari, (ヨコハマ物語, The Story of Yokohama) 1981–1983
N. Y. Komachi, (NY小町, The Belle of New York) 1985–1988
Asaki Yume Mishi, (あさきゆめみし, Asakiyunemishi, based on Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji) 1980–1993
Hi-heel Cop, (ハイヒールCOP) 1989–1994
Tenshi no Kajitsu, (天使の果実, Fruit of the Angel, based on novel by Shizuka Ijuuin) 1993–1994
Niji no Natascha, (虹のナターシャ, Natascha of Rainbow, based on novel by Mariko Hayashi) 1995–1997
Nishimuku Samurai, (にしむく士, Samurai facing to the West) 1997
Baby-sitter Gin!, (ベビーシッター・ギン!) 1997
Kurenai Niwofu, (紅匂ふ)" (wikipedia.org)
"The Tale of Genji (あさきゆめみし, Asakiyumemishi) is a Japanese manga version of Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji by Waki Yamato.
It follows nearly the same plot with some modern adaptation. It was originally published from 1980 to 1993. It spanned thirteen volumes and was published by Kodansha. The series was partially translated into English (as The Tale of Genji) by Stuart Atkin and Yoko Toyosaki as a part of Kodansha's attempts to publish bilingual manga as a study guide for Japanese students. The Tale of Genji sold 20 million copies.[1] The first ten volumes focus on Hikaru Genji and his life, the final three volumes follow two princes, lord Kaoru and Niou no miya (Royal Prince with Perfumes) after Hikaru Genji's death.
An anime adaptation was scheduled to air in Fuji Television's noitaminA block, starting January 2009,[2] but the producer decided to make the anime directly from the original Tale of Genji, calling the new anime Genji Monogatari Sennenki.....
Characters
The First Part
Volumes 1 to 10
Hikaru Genji - royal prince, 2nd son of Emperor Kiritsubo. Because of his beauty and excellence, people called him the Shining Prince. His father, the Emperor, loved this beautiful prince, and gave him a branch house, called Gen. This meant he was no longer part of the royal family and lost the right to succeed the throne, since his mother was a concubine of low rank. Therefore, he was called Gen-ji, shining Gen-ji (Hikaru Genji).
Emperor Kiritsubo - father of Genji. He wished Genji to become his successor, but it would be impossible since his mother Kiritsubo-koui's was of low rank and the mother of his 1st son, Kokiden-nyougo, was of high rank.
Kiritsubo-koui - 2nd class concubine of Emperor Kiritsubo, mother of Genji. The emperor loved her most, but it resulted in death of Kiritsubo-koui under jealousy and hatred of other concubines in the palace.
Kokiden-nyougo - 1st class concubine, mother of 1st royal prince (later, Emperor Suzaku) of Emperor Kiritsubo. Daughter of the Minister at the right.
Fujitsubo-nyougo - royal princess and 1st class concubine of Emperor Kiritsubo. Fujitsubo looked a lot like late Kiritsubo-koui. Emperor Kiritsubo loved her and she became the Empress consort (Chuuguu). Lord Genji loved and adored Fujitsubo and he committed adultery with her.
Murasaki no ue - daughter of the Prince Lord Minister of Ceremony, niece of Empress consort Fujitsubo. Lord Genji first met her when she was 12 years old. Later, Genji married her and she was called Murasaki no ue (high Dame Murasaki).
Aoi no ue - daughter of the Minister at the left. She was 4 years older than Genji. Aoi was the first spouse of Genji - therefore she was called Aoi no ue (high Dame Aoi). She has been raised to be married to the next emperor, but was instead married to Genji who was the second son of the emperor. This has made Aoi cold and distant from her husband. Aoi was killed by jealous living ghost of royal Dame Rokujou.
Rokujou-miyasudokoro - mother of princess Umetsubo-nyougo, 1st class concubine of the former Crown Prince who was an elder brother of Emperor Kiritsubo. After her husband's death, she has locked herself up in her mansion and only comes out during a poetry recital. Considered to be very popular at court and carries the reputation of being both wise and beautiful. She became Genji's mistress. Her love overwhelmed the Prince Genji which eventually drove him away from her."Miyasudokoro" is title of mother of royal prince/princess.
Yuugiri - 2nd son of Genji. His mother was high Dame Aoi.
Emperor Suzaku - 1st son of Emperor Kiritsubo. His mother was Kokiden-nyougo. Suzaku succeeded his father Kiritsubo's throne and became emperor. Kokiden-nyougo was, then, grand Empress consort.
Emperor Reizei - son of Empress consort Fujitsubo. He was considered as the royal prince, son of Emperor Kiritsubo, but his real father was Lord Genji. He was a child of adultery.
Tou-no-chuujou - eldest son of the Minister at the left, elder brother of Aoi. He was a rival and good friend of Genji.
Yuugao - a young lady from middle class but reputed to be beautiful and young. She was one of Genji's loves. She was killed by living ghost of jealous Rokujou-miyasudokoro at the age of nineteen. Her death left Genji into a pit of depression. She left a girl baby, later called Tamakadura, who was just a daughter of Tou-no-chuujou.
Hana-chiru-sato - a young lady, sister of the concubine of Emperor Suzaku. One of Genji's loves. Not so beautiful, but warm-hearted lady.
Oborodukiyo - daughter of the Minister at the right, younger sister of grand Empress consort Kokiden. She was beautiful and brave lady. Kokiden planned to make her 1st class concubine of Emperor Suzaku. But she had love affairs with Lord Genji. Then, she became the chief Lady of Chamber (Naishi-no-kami) of Emperor Suzaku. Kokiden got anger, and Genji retired to the seashore place at Suma.
Akashi-no-okata - daughter of Priest Akashi. A beautiful, elegant, young lady. Genji and his followers met with disaster by typhoon at Suma. They moved to Akashi according to invitation by Priest Akashi. Genji, then, made love with her and begot a girl baby (later, Akashi-no-nyougo).
(shin)-Kokiden-nyougo - daughter of Tou-no-chuujou, elder sister of Kumoi-no-Kari. She was a 1st class concubine of Emperor Reizei.
Umetsubo-nyougo - daughter of Rokujou-miyasudokoro and the former Crown Prince. She was Royal princess and entered into the palace of Emperor Reizei as nyougo (1st class concubine). Royal Dame Rokujou had died. Genji became her father in palace low. Emperor Reizei became aware that Genji was his real father. Reizei fell in agony, and at last accepted the fact. Reizei raised Umetsubo to the Empress consort for she was Genji's daughter in low. Umetsubo became Akikonomu-chuuguu. Genji became de facto Ex-Emperor, Rokujou-in.
Kumoi-no-Kari - daughter of Tou-no-chuujou. Younger sister of shin-Kokiden-nyougo. She fell in love with Yuugiri, the son of Genji. She married Yuugiri.
Tamakadura - daughter of Tou-no-chuujou and Yuugao. Beautiful young lady. She left Kyoto for Dazai-fu at Kyushu in her very young age. After having grown up and become a young lady she returned to Kyoto. Genji found her and announced she was her daughter. Many high rank noblemen sent love-letters to her. Royal army General at the left, Kurohige, proposed her and kidnapped her.
San-no-miya
Relations maps of characters
See also: List of characters from The Tale of Genji
Characters appeared in the Tale of Genji are many and their relations are highly complicated. The following lists/maps show the rough overview of their relations.
Emperor Kiritsubo and Hikaru Genji
Emperor Kiritsubo has many wives, representatively three ladies are important:
Kokiden-nyougo, 1st class concubine, mother of Emperor Suzaku, She is later Grand Empress consort
Kir