The Tale of Genji, which consists of fifty-four chapters, is considered the oldest extant novel in the history of literature. Since the Japanese noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu gave birth to this masterpiece in the early eleventh century, its timeless beauty has fascinated readers for generations, not only in the author’s homeland but also in numerous countries throughout the world. This romance is set in the stable aristocratic society of Japan’s Heian Period, which began in the late eighth century and endured for almost four hundred years. The first forty-four chapters focus mainly on the life of Genji, and the remaining chapters continue after his death, with the main action of the story shifting from central Kyoto to Uji, a tranquil village in the outer part of eastern Kyoto, where noblemen of that time owned their villas. These later chapters are called “Uji Jujo (10 chapters in Uji).”

It had been around ten years since the publication of the first forty-four chapters when Murasaki Shikibu, then a retired nun, resumed her work. It is a great pleasure for the reader to be able to witness, in these final ten chapters, the personal maturity the author had acquired in the interim.

Reading through these chapters, you may be taken aback by the quite liberal attitude that the characters in this story hold toward love and relationships, and you may believe it to be a general behavior of that time. It must be noted, however, that the author made great use of her imagination so as to let us enjoy living in this world of fiction, where anything could happen, inspired by the spur of creativity and the freedom that any form of art is allowed to embrace.

As the beauty of Uji Jujo piqued my interest, I also fell in love with the wonderful suburban area of Uji, where the latter part of this ancient romance unfolds. It has an entirely different appeal from that of the neighboring city of Kyoto, a well-known historical hub of Japanese tourism which now attracts around fifty million domestic and international visitors a year. For those yet to visit Kyoto, it provides a charming tranquility born of an introspective atmosphere. Interestingly enough, even today many of the sites related to the scenes of Uji Jujo still remain.

Moreover, we have tried as much as possible to avoid the use of obscure expressions and ambiguity in the psychological descriptions so that non-native English speakers can also be captivated by the scintillating language in which Murasaki Shikibu’s The Tale of Genji is written.

I eagerly hope that this book will be read by Japanese high school and university students as well. It is often mentioned that their reading skills need to be enhanced, as these skills are critical for building up other abilities such as speaking and writing. It would be my greatest pleasure if I could provide an opportunity through the classic Japanese novel The Tale of Genji, which nearly every Japanese person must have heard at least once in their lives, for these students to experience the joy of reading in English, and eventually learn how to interpret their own culture so as to make it accessible to foreigners.

A drifting boat【浮船】 　Prince Niou couldn’t get the twilight liaison with the mysterious ladyout of his mind. Memories of the evening he had spent with her remained firmly embedded in his heart. Although she clearly not of noble status, he found her irresistibly charming. Since he had been intimate with many women, he found it far from fulfilling to have simply lain next to one another ,and he became very eager to learn more about her. Lady Naka refused to discuss the matter with her husband, however, no matterhow much he pressed her.

The　Mayfly【蜻蛉】 　People were shocked to discover that Ukifune had disappeared from her house in Uji and began a desperate search. Unfortunately, they unearthed no clues as to her whereabouts despite their considerable efforts. The situation was reminiscent of the kidnapping of a princess in a classic fairy tale.

Writing Practice【手習】 　 In those days, there lived a great monk called ‘Sozu of Yokawa’ on Mount Hiei. The venerable man resided with his mother of eighty odd years and a sister of around fifty. The two nuns had wished for many years to visit Hase Temple and their prayers had finally been answered. Sozu asked Ajari, his right-hand man, to accompany them in order to dedicate images of Buddha and some hand-written sutras. After having accomplished so much during their visit to the temple, they turned back for home. Whenthey were passing over Nara Hill, the mother suddenly fell ill.

A Floating Bridge in a Dream【夢浮橋】  　As he did every month, the Commander went to pray in the temple at the top of Mt. Hiei. The following day, he visited Yokawa Temple, surprising Sozu, who was honored to have him as a guest. Although the Commander had known the monk for years through their shared prayer sessions, they had never been particularly close. Yet now Commander Kaoru felt great respect for Sozu, since he had seen with his own eyes Sozu’s remarkable capabilities in curing Princess Ippon’s illness, and thus their relationship  had grown. It seemed quite odd to Sozu that a man of such considerable status had come to this most isolated area of the temple to visit him in person. The people there treated the Commander with warm hospitality. They offered him a bowl of rice cooked in tea while the two men engaged in a lively conversation.