A Homage to The Tale of Genji Written by Murasaki Shikibu Illustration Version Illustration / Sentence / Photography /Art flowers By Sayoko Koori
Chapter 9 Aoi
Contents enkoku Iroha Uta ( Seal Engraving Alphabet Poem ) Teruko Nakai Contents 5 Prologue 6 Romantic events of Heian Period 7 Birth of Genji 8 Emperor Kiritsubo and Lady Kiritsubo 9 Prince Hikaru Genji 10 Hikaru Genji in his greatest glory 11 Empress Kiritsubo and Lady Fujitsubo 12 The Shining Empress Fujitsubo 13 Lady Aoi 14 Short life of Lady Aoi 15 Lady Rokujo 16 Lady Rokujo, a beautiful and intelligent 17 Dispute of carriages., Episode One 18 Kinds of Carriages 19 Episode Two 20 Episode Three 21 Women s Mandala 22 Hikaru Genji s last years 23 Remarks 24 Post Script 25 T 5
Prologue The reason why I wanted to study Information Communication at Sonoda Women s University is to study more about my favorite Genji Monogatari ( The Tale of Genji ) from different angles. I met with Genji Monogatari twenty years ago for the first time. An American and his wife who were my daughter s professors kept some cats for they had no children.they named two of them Fujitsubo and Aoi after Genji Monogatari s heroines. They read Genji Monogatari translated by Enji Fumiko in an English version.i hadn t read it and I felt very ashamed as a Japanese. The foreigners taught me a very important thing. I worked for teaching Art flower arrangement for a long time and I was very impressed with the lecture in a different field. I gave my idea into flower arrangement. I could exhibit the work Genji Monogatar in flowers with the help of many people at Flower Exhibition,Osaka in 1985. After that I had an opportunity for my work to be hung on a wall of Ichitani Memorial Hall in Sonoda Women s University. I could also exhibit my wood carving work Genji Moogatari in flowers at Flower Exhibition,Awaji in 2000. I entered adults class lead by Genji Monogatri after a long time. My graduation thesis was Illustration by Digital contents of Genji Monogatari. I could also have a chance to publish my original picture book based on Genji Monogatari, old pictures and data in the University. I am really a happy woman to have a chance here. The classical literature of Genji Monogatari grantefully takes part in my latter half of my life. I am really thankful for making up my life. 6
A Homage to the Tale of Genji Romatic events of the Heian Period Kyoto was the Capital of Japan from AD 794 to 1850. The Tale of Genji was written by Lady Murasaki (Murasaki Shikibu) in Heian Period. It is the stories about a shining Prince loved by numerous court ladies and noble men of the Imperial Palace in Kyoto. 7
Birth of Genji Genji is a hero of the novel. He is a beloved son of Emperor Kiritsubo and Lady Kiritsubo.Genjii.. As he grows up, his nature is cleaned more and more. Because he is very smart, beautiful and sparkling. Numerous women envies Lady Kiritsubo and they are jealous of her. 8
The Emperor Kiritsubo and Lady Kiritsubo This is my invitation card of a Flower Exhibition,Osaka in 1985 9
Prince Hikaru Genji He had love affairs with numerous court ladies. 10
The Genji s height of glory Genji gets the height glory in his life with beautiful numerous women. 11
Empress Kiritsubo and Lady Fujitsubo Lady Fujitsubo resembled closely to Genji s mother. She became Emperor s mistress (future Empress). Genji and Fujitsubo fell in love secretly. 12
The Shining Empress Fujitsubo Empress Fujitsubo is a matchless beautiful and very young. Genji loves her so much. It is a fateful encounter. After that she has a Genji s child. 13
Lady Aoi Lady Aoi was the only daughter of the Minister of the Left. She married Genji to cement her father s close relations with the imperial family. She was Genji first principal wife. She was four years older than Genji, so she felt him very childish and Aoi herself is too proud for Genji. Genji visited her very rarely. But they reconciled and Aoi gave birth to a son,yugiri. Lady Rokujo,widow of the crown prince Zenbo and a long time mistress of Cenji. Eight years older than Genji. Her jealousy was so strong that her wandering spirit kills of the Lady Aoi of the evening faces and. 14
Lady Aoi short life Aoi is the first wife of Genji. She is a very beautiful and proud.. They married very young. She was sixteen and Genji was only twelve years old. Their marriage is not going well. Aoi also suffers from evil sprit of Lady Rokujo. 15
Lady Rokujo Lady Rokujo is the widow of the crown prince and lives with her daughter. Lady Rokujo is very intelligent and beautiful. She is a famous court poetess. Many male admirers are always around her. After her husband s death, she becomes Genji s mistress. But Genji does not care her so much. 16
Intelligence and beauty of Rokujo Lady Rokujo has intelligence and beauty. She excels in Japanese poems Waka. 17
Dispute of carriages, Episode One Lady Aoi decides to go the Kamo festival to see the procession and Genji. For her court servants want to do. They go out in the gorgeous carriages. Already Lady Rokujo was also in the grander procession quietly. But Aoi s carriage, the latecomer pushes away hers takes her place. Aoi s servants break her carriageshafts. Her tears fill her eyes. Lady Rokojo felt insulted but she could see Genji.. 18
Kind of Carriages Rokujo s carriage Aoi s carriage Quoted from book Nihon Bungaku Taikei: The Tale of Genji 19
Episode Two The simple carriage of Lady Rokujo with footmen are violently cut into by the goegeous Carriage of Lady Aoi. 20
Episode Three The strong jealousy of Lady Rokujo becomes evil spirit and attacks all the women. Lady Aoi is killed by the spirit. After Aoi s death Genji stops his visits to the Lady Rokujo. She decided to go to Ise with her daughter. 21
Women s Mandala Genji s later days are not happy. Women s Mandala! Splendid women! 22
Hikaru Genji s last years Genji is raised his rank to the hightest possible by the new Emperor Reizei ( his real son ). Though his political states is high,his love life begins to decline and his beloved wife Murasaki dies in her forties. Genji, though we do not know, then in his early fifties. Genji leaves the word, retires to temple and dies. 23
Remarks I am very thankful for Genji Monogatari. ( The Tale of Genji )translated, read,and studied by many people in the world. I have been in an adult student in Sonoda Women s Unversity for six years. I have finished writing my thesis on Genji Monogatari including illustration and an original picture book. This has been my life work. I could compile them into my thesis. I always have felt my life has been worth living. Every people has his / her dreams and stories in his /her challenging life. Old and amateur like pictures were my treasure. I studied, practiced for my purpose and achieved them in the university with a great pleasure. I always feel that nothing is useless in our lives. In the future I would like to challenge myself to draw illustration and animation of all the book to draw illustrations and animations of all the book of Genji Monogatari( 54Chapters ) 24
Post Script P 3 Tenkoku Teruko Nakai A Guide of works of art at International Flower Exhibition P 9 An Invitation Card of Flower Exhibition( 1985) P 11 Dyeing based in red and white, Genji s height of glory. A box made of paulownia displayed with above works. P 13 A work expresses imagination of gorgeousness of Fujitsubo with dyeing in purple. P 15 A work expresses a short Life of Aoi with cherry flowers. P 17 Lady Rokujo is beautiful and talented woman in Waka.. A work expresses Waka. of calligraphy. P 19 Kind of carriages. Upper Humble, bamboo made carriage of Lady Rokujo. Middle Velvet covered high class carriage of Lady Aoi. P 23 HikaruGenji s last years like gorgeous flowers withers and declines. A work expresses Genji s last years with dyeing cluster -amaryllis. 25