Who is this statue depicting?

The article and photos by Fumiko Koike

Contents:

1. Who is Murasaki-Shikibu?

2. What is “Tale of Genji” about?

3. Message

This is a statue of Murasaki-Shikibu, who wrote the Japan’s oldest novel called “Tale of Genji” in the early 11th century. This statue is placed near a bridge over the Ujigawa river, in Uji city (one of the cities in Kyoto prefecture and located next to Kyoto city).  In the novel, some episodes took place in Uji, thus the statue is located there.  

 Above : Beautiful Uji-gawa river 

The fiction novel shows both the dark and the bright side of the life of, "Genji", or "Hikaru-genji".

He was a prince but he could not become an emperor. Also, he could not be together with his first love, because she was his step mother. And he realized he love his wife more than he did his step-mother, his wife passed away. I may call those three aspects the 'dark side' of his life.

He allured many women with his beauty and affluence. Throughout his life, he was able to have countless lovers and married to some women, which can be possibly envied by some people. I possibly call those aspects the "bright side" of his life.

When his wife Murasaki-no-ue, who spent the longest time with him, was on the verge of death, Genji finally realized he had come to love wholeheartedly the dying wife, but she mercilessly passed away.

It must have been very sad to realize that he loved her truly when she was dying - however, it was too late for him.

By reading "Tale of Genji", you can see how women in the novel reacted to difficult situations and that can make you think which woman you can be similar to.

Of course, people's notions and customs now and then are totally different, therefore we cannot compare every situation using today's sense of values.

However, reading this novel before visiting Kyoto may help deepen your understanding Kyoto as well as old customs of court nobles in Japan. 

In the story, some of Genji's descendants appear in Uji.

The article and photos by Fumiko Koike