The Tale Of Genji

The first Emperor of the tale is Genji’s father, Emperor Kiritsubo. Many of the character names in The Tale of Genji are taken from the names of their places of residence, or from poetic references to the natural world. His name is also the name by which Genji’s mother, Lady Kiritsubo, is known, since she is one of the Emperor’s concubine Intimates. Genji’s mother, Lady Kiritsubo, is the Emperor’s favorite companion, despite her low rank.

Because of both his adoration of Genji’s mother and the boy’s remarkable characteristics, the Emperor finds himself very devoted to Genji. Though the Lady Kiritsubo dies when Genji is 3, the Emperor makes Genji a commoner. Though as a commoner Genji can never rule, he can draw less wrath as a non-royal, as well as stay close to his father. Additionally, the Emperor appeases his first son’s mother, Kokiden Lady, by making her child, Suzaku, Heir Apparent. Making Genji a commoner also allows Genji to marry Aoi, daughter of the Minister of the Left, and thus have a powerful father-in-law behind him.

While deeply mourning the loss of Genji’s mother, Lady Kiritsubo, he hears tell of a young woman of higher rank who looks very much like Kiritsubo, a princess named Fujitsubo. As the Emperor encourages her to develop a motherly affection towards Genji as a boy, Genji is immediately fascinated by the young princess when others tell him she resembles the mother he lost. Eventually his affection develops into romantic love, and the two begin a secret affair once Genji is older, unbeknownst to his father. The Emperor never learns of their affair, and he remains devoted to Genji as a son and to Fujitsubo as his Empress until the end of his life.

Lady Kiritsubo is Genji's mother and also the favorite lady of the Emperor, despite her low social rank. Again, as with many characters, Kiritsubo’s name is based on her residence: she is named for both the tree and small garden between palace buildings, the Paulownia Pavilion, where she lives as a concubine.

She has no political backing, and she is resented and harassed by other concubines, particularly the mother of the Heir Apparent, the scheming Kokiden Consort. Regardless of her inferior social status, the Emperor adores Lady Kiritsubo, and he immediately devotes himself to their son, Genji, as well. Still, Kiritsubo’s heartbreak over the court’s constant harassment eventually contributes to her death. She passes away when Genji is 3.

Devastated by this loss, the Emperor discovers a princess named Fujitsubo who bears a striking resemblance to his Lady Kiritsubo, Genji’s lost mother. Overjoyed to now have Fujitsubo at his side, who reminds him so much of Genji’s mother, the Emperor encourages her to bond with Genji as a foster parent to him. She does look after Genji as a surrogate mother, and Genji’s affection for her—related to how much he is told she resembles his mother, Lady Kiritsubo—eventually grows into an erotic affair with Fujitsubo when Genji is older. 

As the higher-status consort to Genji’s father, the Emperor, Kokiden Consort is resentful of the Emperor’s love for Lady Kiritsubo, as well as his adoration of Genji, who she fears may overtake her own son, Suzaku, as Emperor. However, she is ambitious and politically-connected, and daughter of the Minister of the Right. Though Fujitsubo eventually becomes Empress instead, and outranks Kokiden, she learns to reconcile with the title of Empress Mother.

Meanwhile, Kokiden directs her scheming at Genji. When it is revealed Genji is having one of his many affairs with one of Emperor Suzaku’s (her son’s) ladies, she ensures Genji is forced to choose exile in Suma. However, Genji’s exile is only temporary, and as Kokiden’s health fails and Suzaku is troubled by dreams of his and Genji’s deceased Emperor father, Genji is permitted to return to Kyoto, despite all her plotting.

First introduced in the story as a 16-year-old princess, Fujitsubo is chosen as a consort for Genji’s father, the Emperor, after the loss of Genji’s mother, Kiritsubo. He adores her for her close resemblance to his lost companion (Genji’s mother), and he encourages her to act as a mother figure to Genji because of this. Due to her background and rank, she immediately is of higher status than the Kokiden Consort, and she also becomes the Emperor’s favorite because she looks so much like Genji’s mother.

She acts as a stand-in for a parent to Genji, but as Genji grows older, he begins a romantic affair with her. She later gives birth to a son with Genji (Reizei), who is raised to become the next Emperor. However, the truth of the child’s father is never revealed, and the Emperor Kiritsubo fully believes he is the father of Reizei for the remainder of his life.

Though she has been made Empress, and her son, Reizei, is Heir Apparent, as the years go on, the burden of carrying her secret that Genji is the true father increasingly worries her. Once the Kokiden Consort and her people rise to power, Fujitsubo decides the best course of action she can take, given all the risks against her, is to become a nun. She leaves her position of power, proving she has no political agendas, but also avoiding any fallout if it were to be revealed the Heir Apparent is actually Genji’s child, not the Emperor’s. She eventually returns from exile and passes away in the chapters not included in the Royall Tyler abridged version.

Aoi is Genji's first wife, daughter of the Minister of the Left, and sister of Genji’s close friend To no Chujo. Because she is from a politically powerful family, she is married to Genji as his wife when she is sixteen-years-old. Genji finds her airs of perfection intimidating, especially because she is four years older than him. Aoi and Genji are not very close during their marriage, as she is angered by his extramarital affairs.

After she gives birth to Genji’s publicly-known son, Yugiri, she is afflicted by a spirit possession (mono no ke). The rumor is the living spirit belongs to that of a jealous Genji mistressnamed Lady Rokujo, who also is rumored to have killed Genji’s lover, Yugao. Aoi passes away at the end of Chapter 9, though for a short time during her suffering, Genji finally sympathizes with her, and mourns the loss of a wife as he welcomes his new son.

Murasaki is Genji's second wife, and Fujitsubo's niece. Genji meets her when she is 10 years old, and is instantly intrigued by her because she resembles Fujitsubo so much.

Murasaki is considered one of the most complex plot lines in the story: Genji finds the young Murasaki when he is trying to recover from a fever in the Northern Hills. She is eventually taken from her home by Genji as a young girl, against the wishes of her guardians and after her grandmother dies, to be raised in Nijo, as his romantic partner. The name “Murasaki” translates to the color “Lavender,” which is a reference to her physical similarity to Fujitsubo: Fujitsubo’s name is based on the word “fuji,” which translates to the purple wisteria flower.

It is debated whether her storyline is highly tragic or whether Genji’s actions, however reckless, instead somewhat improve her circumstances. Though Genji considers her his true love once she is grown, because she is only half-royal, she is never publicly recognized as a main wife. This lack of acknowledgment and guarantee about her position ultimately lead to her insecurity, especially as Genji continues his affairs with other women. Regardless, she still becomes a foster mother to the daughter Genji has with the Akashi Lady, and raises the child to become an Empress, as an astrologer earlier in the story foretells.

Murasaki dies young in later chapters not included in this edition.

Rokujo Haven is one of Genji's mistresses. She is infuriated when Genji begins ignoring her, despite her high social position. Her “living spirt” attacks his first wife, Aoi, then the younger Murasaki, and also To no Chujo’s and Genji’s lover,  Yugao.When Rokujo hears rumors about her connection to Aoi’s possession, she is embarrassed by the implications and starts to believe the gossip must be true.

Eventually she reconciles with the reality that Genji will never take her as anything more than a mistress. Still, before her death, she asks Genji to look after daughter Akikonomu. Rokujo Haven makes him promise to not view her young daughter as a lover. He agrees to raise the child with honorable intentions, and she dies soon after, in Chapter 14.

To no Chujo is Aoi's brother, son of the Minister of the Left, Genji’s brother-in-law, and also one of Genji’s closest friends. Though they compete with good humor in romantic conquests and other contests, the rivalry between them is never deep-rooted and always resolves itself. Genji has a secret affair with one of his previous mistresses (Yugao), and Genji initially does not pass on the message to To no Chujo he has fathered a child with Yugao. Genji’s affair remains unknown to him, and he and To no Chujo stay allies despite the ups and downs of their court’s political shifts.

The son of Emperor Kiritsubo and the Kokiden Consort, Suzaku is Heir Apparent and becomes emperor after Emperor Kiritsubo dies. He is the half-brother of Genji, and yet initially does not have the same level of ill will towards Genji that his mother, Kokiden, has her entire life. Though Genji is demoted to commoner as a youth, and not a threat to becoming the heir, the Kokiden Consort (Suzaku’s mother) is constantly scheming to ensure her party’s rise to power and her son’s elevation to the throne over Genji.

When it is revealed Genji has had a secret love affair with one of Suzaku’s concubines (Oborozukiyo), the Emperor Suzaku is not at all personally offended. However, at his mother’s behest (the Kokiden Consort), he feels obligated to exile Genji to Suma, which he does.

However, as Kokiden’s health fails and Suzaku is upset by dreams of his and Genji’s deceased Emperor father, Suzaku requests Genji’s return to Kyoto for support, and Genji’s exile ends.

Reizei is Genji's secret son with Fujitsubo. Everyone but the two lovers believes the Emperor Kiritsubo, Genji’s father, is the parent of the child. This edition ends when he is 13 and Emperor, and Genji is back in the court’s good graces. 

Asagao is Genji’s first cousin and daughter of Emperor Kiritsibu’s younger brother. She first appears briefly in Chapter 2, when Genji overhears women discussing how he sent her a poem and bluebell flowers. She is believed to be tied to the welfare of the realm; as she is connected to the religious site of the Kamo Shrine, any flirtation or emotional upset for her could potentially anger deities, and thus the peace and protection of the kingdom. Genji tries pursuing her again at the Kamo Festival, and the Kokiden Consort eventually uses his dalliance with her against Genji’s reputation.

After Genji goes into exile at Suma, he meets the Akashi Lady, daughter of the Akashi Novice, a middle-ranking official. Her father encourages her to have a relationship with Genji, though she is wary of trusting a nobleman from the city. Against her will, she gives birth to his first daughter. Her father eventually confesses to her he had a dream in which his granddaughter would be Empress—which indeed happens—and that is why he so avidly encouraged her (and ultimately forced her) to be with Genji.

Akashi Novice is the father of the Akashi Lady. Both are named after their home province. He encourages his daughter to have a relationship with Genji, in hopes his secret, prophetic dream of the granddaughter rising to Empress will someday prove true. Years later, though his daughter is not permitted to raise the child she bears with Genji, the dream is fulfilled, and the little girl, “Little Lady Akashi,” does become Empress.

The wife of the Iyo Deputy and stepmother of the Governor of Kii, she resists Genji’s advances.

She is Murasaki’s grandmother, who repeatedly rejects Genji’s begging for Murasaki to come live with him. She is rather direct in letting Genji know she is not comfortable releasing Murasaki into his care, due to his ultimately sexual intentions. She also does not want the child to be under her father’s custody, either. After the grandmother dies, however, Genji essentially kidnaps Murasaki to his home in Nijo, before her father can discover where she has been taken.

Genji’s father-in-law, and father to Aoi and To no Chujo. He is entrusted with looking after Genji in his younger years.

As the Kokiden Consort’s father, the Minister of the Right is usually in conflict with Genji’s interests. He is also the Kiritsubo Emperor’s father-in-law, as well, and thus dedicated to seeing Genji not become Heir Apparent over his daughter’s son (Suzaku) with the emperor. Despite his gruff manner, his intentions are not anywhere near as vicious as those of his daughter, the Kokiden Consort.

She is Kokiden’s younger sister, who has an affair with Genji and bears him a son.

She is one of Fujitsubo’s ladies. She assists Genji in gaining secret access and letters to Fujitsubo. 

Once a lover of To no Chujo's, she and Genji later begin a romantic affair. The jealous spirit of the Rokujo Lady attacks and kills her, and Genji eventually raises the daughter, Tamakazura, she had with To no Chujo, but To no Chujois not made aware he has a daughter.