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It is that she composed "The Tale of Genji" during the three, four, or five years she spent as a widow following her separation from her husband, Nobutaka, in 1001*23. According to a theory in the Mumyōshō*24 (possibly a misidentification of the Mumyōｚōshi (Story Without a Name), when the Princess Daisai-in, daughter of Emperor Murakami, sent a messenger to the Jōtōmon-in requesting, “If you have any rare stories, please let me see them,” Jōtōmon-in summoned Lady Murasaki and had her compose the work.

Furthermore, although various other reasons have been put forward, none of them are based on solid evidence; they are all merely unreliable theories. Also, theories such as the claim that he began writing the two chapters of Suma and Akashi after praying to the Kannon at Ishiyama Temple*25 (and thus Suma and Akashi were the first), or that she began writing after receiving the paper for the Great Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra as a gift from the principal image (Kannon), are indeed accounts passed down by renowned scholars of old; however, they are theories that cannot be accepted (or trusted) as they lack realism.

Moreover, it is a misconception (a misguided view) to regard “The Tale of Genji” as merely a book of sensuality*26 (one filled solely with depictions of romance and eroticism). As mentioned earlier, Lady Murasaki was a person of both talent and virtue; she gathered various events from the outside world and wrote them with the intention of providing people with insights (lessons) and warnings. Her writing truly captures the full depth of human emotions and the state of the society.

Also, as for the prose itself, it goes without saying (and is obvious) that it remains a masterpiece from ancient times to the present day.

However, while there are Confucian scholars who disparage and denigrate this story as a work of erotic literature, arguments that fail to grasp the general gist of its content are not worth considering. Here, I will cite the theory presented by Banzan Kumazawa in his Kōkyō Gaiden Wakumon*27 (Apocryphal Questions on the Classic of Filial Piety). His argument goes as follows:

“While the matters of sensuality depicted in “The Tale of Genji” are fictional, much of what is recounted therein is generally based on actual events. Many ancient texts that dealt solely with the rites and music of the past eventually fell into obscurity because few people read them. However, since sensuality is a natural human inclination, the work was written—while ostensibly focusing on romantic affairs—with the underlying purpose of preserving the rites, music, and customs of the past for future generations…”

• *19 Ancient Chinese and Japanese writings: The term “ancient writings” refers to texts that record events of the past; in this context, it likely refers to historical records and historical texts.

• *20 The Senzai-shū: The Collection of Waka of One Thousand Years No. 977, Volume 16, Miscellaneous Poems, Part 1. The poem expresses gratitude for a letter received from a former colleague shortly after she left the imperial court for her parental home.

• *21 Note: A headnote explaining the circumstances in which a waka poem was composed.

• *22 in her diary： It is the Diary of Murasaki Shikibu. The following account is recorded in the “Diary of Murasaki Shikibu.”

• *23 1001：Chōhō 3 in imperial calendar

• *24 Regarding the Mumyoshō: While the Mumyōshō is generally understood to refer to Kamo no Nagaakira (1155?～1216)’s treatise on waka poetry, the following account cannot be verified. Since a relevant entry is found in the Mumyozōshi (Story Without a Name) compiled in around 1200 or the early Kamakura period), it is believed that this is an error for the Mumyozōshi.

• *25 after praying to the Kannon at Ishiyama Temple: The theory that “The Tale of Genji” was begun with the chapters, Suma and Akashi are recorded in works such as the Kakai-shō and the Shika Shichiron (Seven Essays on Lady Murasaki).

• *26 to regard “The Tale of Genji” as merely a book of sensuality: This perspective is evident in many writings that reference “The Tale of Genji,” such as those by Tameakira Ando (1659-1716). The point is that what is depicted on the surface differs from the true nature of the work.

• *27 Banzan Kumazawa in his Kōkyō Gaiden Wakumon (Apocryphal Questions on the Classic of Filial Piety): Banzan Kumazawa in his Kōkyō Gaiden Wakumon (Apocryphal Questions on the Classic of Filial Piety): Kumazawa Banzan was a Yangming scholar of the early Edo period. Banzan described ”The Tale of Genji” as “a book intended to educate people about etiquette, music, human emotions, and the state of the world.”

Around 1009*10, when “The Tale of Genji,” composed by Murasaki Shikibu, was presented to the Empress Dowager, Lord Michinaga, upon viewing it, made his customary jesting remarks and, taking the opportunity, had a poem written on a sheet of paper laid upon a branch of plum blossoms.

 

The poem

Sukimono to / Nanishi tatereba*11 / ware o miru / hito no orade suguru / ha araji to zo omofu 

 

Since I have become known as "sukimono or man-lover," I believe that no one who sees me will pass by without stopping to pick me up.

 

This wordplay by Lord Michinaga conflates the sourness of plums (sukimono) with the reputation of a "paramour" or "pleasure-seeker" (sukimono). He was teasingly suggesting that since Lady Murasaki had gained a reputation for being well-versed in love through her writing of The Tale of Genji, no man could possibly pass her by without attempting to "pluck" her, much like a flowering plum branch. This wordplay by Lord Michinaga conflates the sourness of plums (sukimono) with the reputation of a "paramour" or "pleasure-seeker" (sukimono). He was teasingly suggesting that since Lady Murasaki had gained a reputation for being well-versed in love through her writing of The Tale of Genji, no man could possibly pass her by without attempting to "pluck" her, much like a flowering plum branch. To this, Lady Murasaki composed the following retort:

 

The poem

Hito ni mada*12 / Orarenu mono o / Dareka kono / sukimono zo toha /  kuchinarashiken*13

 

Now, on the night when Lady Murasaki was staying at the ｌady-in-waiting's room, watadono, she heard someone knocking at the door, but, overcome with fear, she spent the night without making a sound; and the following morning, a poem sent by Lord Michinaga arrived.

 

The poem

Yomosugara*14 / Kuina yorikeni / nakunakuzo / maki no itado o / tataki wabitsuru

 

All night long, weeping more bitterly than a water rail, I beat on the ｃedar sliding doors, feeling utterly desolate.

 

“Kuina yorikeni” means “surpassing even the sound of a waterfowl’s flapping wings.” In response, Shikibu composed the following poem:

 

The poem

Tadanaraji*15 / to bakar tataku*15 / mizu yue / akateha ikani / kuyashi karamaji

 

Since the knocking was so insistent, as if to say, “This is no ordinary matter ,” how I would have regretted opening the door.

 

A woman who conducts herself with such dignity and integrity, and who truly possesses both talent and virtue, must surely be this Lady Murasaki.

 

Now, regarding the name Murasaki Shikibu*16 … since she was the daughter of Fujiwara no Tamatoki, she was originally called Tō (means fuji or wisteria) 

Shikibu*17.” However, when she composed “The Tale of Genji,” she depicted Murasaki-no-Ue*18 (Lady Murasaki) with such exceptional charm and pathos that, while residing in the palace of the Jōtōmon-in, she was granted the new title “Murasaki Shikibu or Lady Murasaki” in place of Tō Shikibu.

 

Furthermore, after Emperor Ichijō had perused “The Tale of Genji” and praised it, saying, “Murasaki is one who has thoroughly memorized The Chronicles of Japan or Nihon-gi or Nihon Shoki, a court lady named Saemon-no-naishi began to refer to Shikibu*17 as “the Lady of the Nihon-gi.”

 

Lady Murasaki’s father, Tamatoki, was a disciple of Fujiwara no Tokisato and a renowned scholar who also composed fine poetry; thus, Murasaki herself had a passion for learning from a young age. Even when her elder brother, Korechika,

Around 1009*^(10), when “The Tale of Genji,” composed by Murasaki Shikibu, was presented to the Empress Dowager, Lord Michinaga, upon viewing it, made his customary jesting remarks and, taking the opportunity, had a poem written on a sheet of paper laid upon a branch of plum blossoms.

 

The poem

Sukimono to / Nanishi tatereba*^(11) / ware o miru / hito no orade suguru / ha araji to zo omofu 

 

Since I have become known as "sukimono or man-lover," I believe that no one who sees me will pass by without stopping to pick me up.

 

This wordplay by Lord Michinaga conflates the sourness of plums (sukimono) with the reputation of a "paramour" or "pleasure-seeker" (sukimono). He was teasingly suggesting that since Lady Murasaki had gained a reputation for being well-versed in love through her writing of The Tale of Genji, no man could possibly pass her by without attempting to "pluck" her, much like a flowering plum branch. This wordplay by Lord Michinaga conflates the sourness of plums (sukimono) with the reputation of a "paramour" or "pleasure-seeker" (sukimono). He was teasingly suggesting that since Lady Murasaki had gained a reputation for being well-versed in love through her writing of The Tale of Genji, no man could possibly pass her by without attempting to "pluck" her, much like a flowering plum branch. To this, Lady Murasaki composed the following retort:

 

The poem

Hito ni mada*^(12) / Orarenu mono o / Dareka kono / sukimono zo toha /  kuchinarashiken**^(*13)**

 

Now, on the night when Lady Murasaki was staying at the ｌady-in-waiting's room, watadono, she heard someone knocking at the door, but, overcome with fear, she spent the night without making a sound; and the following morning, a poem sent by Lord Michinaga arrived.

 

The poem

Yomosugara*^(14) / Kuina yorikeni / nakunakuzo / maki no itado o / tataki wabitsuru

 

All night long, weeping more bitterly than a water rail, I beat on the ｃedar sliding doors, feeling utterly desolate.

 

“Kuina yorikeni” means “surpassing even the sound of a waterfowl’s flapping wings.” In response, Shikibu composed the following poem:

 

The poem

Tadanaraji*^(15) / to bakar tataku*^(15) / mizu yue / akateha ikani / kuyashi karamaji

 

Since the knocking was so insistent, as if to say, “This is no ordinary matter ,” how I would have regretted opening the door.

 

A woman who conducts herself with such dignity and integrity, and who truly possesses both talent and virtue, must surely be this Lady Murasaki.

 

Now, regarding the name Murasaki Shikibu*
16
 … since she was the daughter of Fujiwara no Tamatoki, she was originally called Tō (means fuji or wisteria)  

Shikibu^(*17).” However, when she composed “The Tale of Genji,” she depicted Murasaki-no-Ue*^(18) (Lady Murasaki) with such exceptional charm and pathos that, while residing in the palace of the Jōtōmon-in, she was granted the new title “Murasaki Shikibu or Lady Murasaki” in place of Tō Shikibu.

 

Furthermore, after Emperor Ichijō had perused “The Tale of Genji” and praised it, saying, “Murasaki is one who has thoroughly memorized The Chronicles of Japan or Nihon-gi or Nihon Shoki, a court lady named Saemon-no-naishi began to refer to Shikibu*^(17) as “the Lady of the Nihon-gi.”

 

Lady Murasaki’s father, Tamatoki, was a disciple of Fujiwara no Tokisato and a renowned scholar who also composed fine poetry; thus, Murasaki herself had a passion for learning from a young age. Even when her elder brother, Korechika, was reading the Shiki or The Records of the Grand Historian, she would watch from the side, memorize it, and recite it well. For this reason, her father, Tamatoki, said to have remarked, “If only this girl were a boy…“

Lady Murasaki or Murasaki Shikibu was the great-granddaughter of Chūnagon (Middle Counselor) Kanesuke and the daughter of Fujiwara no Tametoki, who held the rank of Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade; her mother was the daughter of Settsu-no-kami (Lord of Settsu Province (Most of northern and central Osaka Prefecture and southeastern Hyogo Prefecture)) Tamenobu. She married Fujiwara no Nobutaka, a provisional assistant captain of the Right Division of the Outer Palace Guards, and bore him two daughters. The elder daughter, Katako, married Takashina no Nariaki, the Dazaifu Daini; she was later known as Daini no Sanmi. Her younger daughter was known as Ben no Tsubone and later became the wet nurse to Empress Go-Reizei.

 

The Poem

Meguri-ahite / mishi ya sore tomo / wakanu ma ni kumo-gakure nishi / yoha no tsuki kana

Meeting again— was it truly you I saw? Before I could tell, the midnight moon vanished behind a passing cloud.

 

Commentary in the "Miscellaneous Poems I" section of the Shin Kokin Wakashū ("New Collection of Poems Ancient and Modern") ^(*1), the preface states: (“Hayaku yori warawa tomodachi ni haberikeru hito no, toshigoro hete yukiahitaruga honokanite, shichi gatsu to ka goro tsuki ni kihoite kaerihaberikereba”)

"To a childhood friend whom I happened to meet after many years; as the person departed in haste around the tenth of July, competing with the setting moon, I composed this." Having encountered a long-lost friend from her youth, the poet could not even certain of the person's identity before they hurried away, much like the moon of the tenth night that sets all too quickly. The essence of the poem lies in the word meguri (to come around/meet): just as the moon orbits the heavens to appear again, she finally met her friend, yet grieves that the encounter was as fleeting as a moonbeam ducking behind a cloud.

 

On Lady Murasaki**^(*2)**

Lady Murasaki’s husband, Nobutaka, passed away on April 25, 1001**^(*3). Thereafter, she never remarried, maintaining a life of strict decorum before entering the service of Empress Jōtōmon-in^(*4). Among the Empress's many talented ladies-in-waiting, Murasaki was exceptional; she never flaunted her brilliance, remaining modest and gentle, though her scholarship was peerless. As evidence of this, when Jōtōmon-in became Empress (Chūgū) in 1090^(*5) Although this is how it is recorded in the main text (including the autograph manuscript), the date does not match 1090. This is possibly an error for 1007, she had Murasaki instruct her "Yuefu"^(*6)** from The Collected Works of Bai Juyi.

 

At that time, after Lady Murasaki had parted from her husband, she served at court as a widow**^(*7). Because she was a woman of striking beauty and great intelligence, Lord Mido Kanpaku Michinaga^(*8), the father of the Empress Dowager and Regent—frequently directed flirtatious remarks toward her. However, she carried herself with such dignity that she never yielded to his advances. These episodes are revealed with quiet sincerity in The Diary of Murasaki Shikibu^(*9)**.

 

·        • *1 the “Miscellaneous Poems I” section of the Shin Kokin Wakashū ("New Collection of Poems Ancient and Modern"): This poem is taken from No. 1497 in the “ "Miscellaneous Poems I” section of the Shin Kokin Wakashū. The Hyakunin Isshu generally draws its poems from the imperial anthologies. The text below, from “hayaku yori” to “kaeri haberikereba,” is the preface from the Shin Kokin Wakashū.

• *2 On Lady Murassaki: The following biographical accounts of Lady Murasaki and discussions regarding the composition of "The Tale of Genji" are based on earlier sources such as "The Diary of Murasaki Shikibu," the commentary on The Tale of Genji titled "Kakaishō," and Shika Shichiron (Seven Essays on Lady Murasaki) by Andō Tameakira, which develops its arguments by citing these sources.

• *3 1001 (Chōhō 3 in the Japanese imperial calendar).

• *4 Jōtōmon‐in: The daughter of Fujiwara no Michinaga and empress of Emperor Ichijō, Fujiwara no Shōshi.

• *5 1090 (Kanji 4 in the Japanese imperial calendar): Although this is how it is recorded in the main text (including the autograph manuscript), the date does not correspond to 1090 (Kanji 4) in the Japanese imperial calendar. It is likely a mistake for 1007 (Kankō 4) in the Japanese imperial calender.

• *6 Yuefu: Refers to the “New Yuefu,” which became widely known in Japan through The Collected Works of Bai Juyi.

• *7 As a widow: remaining in the state of widowhood..

• *8 Lord Mido Kanpaku Michinaga: Fujiwara no Michinaga. A court official of the mid-Heian period (794–1180). Officially, he was not a Kanpaku but merely received an Imperial decree ordering the inspection of documents. Thus, he effectively held a position equivalent to that of a Kanpaku and came to be known as “Mido Kanpaku.” His eldest daughter, Shōshi, became the empress of Emperor Ichijō and gave birth to Emperors Go-Ichijō and Go-Suzaku. His handwritten diary, “The Diary of Mido Kanpaku,” has been preserved.　

• *9 The Diary of Murasaki Shikibu: The following account, including the exchange of four poems, is recorded in ”The Diary of Murasaki Shikibu.”

(1) In pretty much any field, don’t you think that those who reach the very top are the ones who push themselves to the utmost limit? In a sense, it’s self-destructive.

 

(2) People often say, “We’re only human—we’re bound to make mistakes.”
But anyone who begins with that mindset is already setting themselves up to fall short. At its core, professionalism means not allowing yourself the luxury of mistakes A true professional never thinks of themselves as “just human.” Only when you approach your work with the conviction that “no matter how many times I repeat it—whether a hundred or a thousand—I will get it right every single time,” can you truly be called a professional. In the past, samurai faced life-and-death battles. If they had thought, “I might fail,” they would not have survived. That is why they never allowed such thoughts to enter their minds. Times may have changed—but ask yourself: Are you engaged in a battle where everything is on the line?

 

(3) Whether it’s a team or an individual, growth never follows a straight line at a linear. At first, progress is so gradual it’s barely noticeable, but then, partway through, growth accelerates sharply. During that gradual phase, it is crucial for a manager to keep offering encouragement patiently and to keep waiting.

 

(4) In work, patience is the first principle.

 

(5) I have always believed that life is a circle. There is morning, then noon, then night, and then morning comes again. In terms of seasons, winter comes, then spring, summer, and fall. This cycle cannot be stopped. Humans also have cycles of their own; there are times when things go well, and times when they don’t.

 

(6) Don’t dwell on the past; focus on making the most of the present.

 

(7) Swing with 120% effort in practice. That way, 80% effort will suffice in a match.

 

(8) The time spent fighting your opponent is fleeting. It is the battle against yourself that determines success or failure.

 

(9) Sometimes, a storm-like headwind makes a person stronger.

 

(10) You never know the outcome until the referee calls “Game over.”

 

(11) Without a strong determination to strive for the highest, you won’t achieve results.

 

(12) You must never stop doing your very best to win, no matter what. You must never give up.

 

(13) Effort always pays off. If there is such a thing as effort that doesn’t pay off, then it doesn’t deserve to be called effort.

 

(14) All of my records to date have been built on my ability to endure.

 

(15) When I took over as the manager, the Hawks were a perennial second-division team steeped in a culture of “just doing okay and getting paid a decent salary.” It was incredibly difficult to change that mindset. All I could do was keep repeating the same message: Let’s aim for the championship; let’s acquire the skills to survive in this world. And the only way to do that is through practice.

 

(16) No matter how much times change, there will always be people who set their sights on something, follow a single path, move at a different pace than those around them, live in a world of their own, and push forward relentlessly. What such people have in common is that they are stoic and possess a self-sacrificing streak. They derive pleasure from putting themselves in situations where they push themselves to the limit. No matter what others think, if it’s necessary for themselves, they feel they must do whatever it takes. I’m no exception.

 

(17) Hitting home runs is my responsibility.

 

(18) “Winning”—that’s all there is. In everything I do, I want to fight with “winning” and “overcoming” at the forefront. I believe that when we “win,” everything else falls into place, and the players believe that too.

 

(19) When you win, you really start to see things more clearly.

 

(20) People who neglect practice will never improve. Only those who have honed their skills through training will become even better.