Throughout human history, periods of peace have catalysed the flourishing of culture and

creativity. Examples include the Renaissance, the Pax Romana, and the prosperity

achieved in China during the Tang and Song Dynasties. As “Heian” (平安) means “Peace”

in Japanese, it is not surprising that during the Heian period, Japan achieved many

cultural, artistic, and literary developments. In this essay, I will explore some salient

characteristics of the Heian period through a literary masterpiece, considered the world’s

first novel (Ray, 2024): The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu.

The Tale of Genji offers more than just a story, providing insight into the aristocratic

lifestyle of the Heian period. According to Varley (2021), as Japan's court moved from

Nara to Kyoto, the Japanese began detaching from Chinese customs, such as the

practice of compiling official histories like the Nihon Shoki. This shift birthed a new

literary form called rekishi monogatari, blending facts and fiction to portray society

beyond historical events. Though The Tale of Genji is an example of a monogatari, and not

of a rekishi monogatari, it still captures the psychology and lifestyle of the aristocracy,

making it a valuable resource for understanding Heian society.

The tale of Genji tells us about Heian period beauty standards and highlights the already

existing Japanese preference for indirect communication. Through Genji’s love affairs, we

learn that one’s taste was of paramount importance in Heian society. Through romantic affairs, one could display their taste, encompassing calligraphy, poetry, choice of

materials, fragrances, and colour matching (Varley 2021, p. 63-64). Genji was dedicated

to nurturing the gentle arts and embodied all the Heian virtues. As Varley puts it: “He was

dazzlingly handsome, a great lover, poet, calligrapher, musician, and dancer, and the

possessor of impeccable taste” (2021, p. 65). Reflecting on the role of art as a medium of

communication and considering Matsumoto's (1988) definition of haragei—implicit

communication—communication through artistic mediums can already be considered

an early form of haragei. The Tale of Genji illustrates how the Japanese, during the Heian

period, used to interact through “ritual formalities and accumulated experience”

(Matsumoto, 1988).

The Tale of Genji also reveals the impact that Heian society had on bigaku, the Japanese

sense of beauty. Central to The Tale of Genji is the concept of mono no aware, “a kind of

aesthetic value that comes from feelings” (Davies and Osamu, 2002). The

expression mono no aware appears 1,018 times, highlighting a subjective sense of

beauty, unrelated to objective standards, and dependent on one’s feelings. Contrary to

Western standards, mono no aware is not about criteria of excellence and goes beyond

mere appearances, suffused with a melancholy feeling driven by an acknowledgement

of impermanence. For this reason, a withering flower can be moving and beautiful, just

as one can cry while listening to a beautiful song, touched by the knowledge that it will

end.

Finally, The Tale of Genji reveals, within Heian society, a sense of group consciousness,

today called Shūdan Ishiki. The novel is divided into two parts: the first mainly revolves

around Genji’s life and loves, while the second, involving Genji’s successors, conveys a sense of uncertainty and a foreboding that the Heian lifestyle would not last long due to

the growing discontent among the non-aristocratic classes. This sensitivity shows a

certain awareness of the dynamics occurring both within the aristocratic group and

beyond it.

In summary, The Tale of Genji may not be a historical chronicle, but it reveals much about

the development of key aspects of Japanese Heian society that continue to resonate

today.

References:

Davies, R., & Osamu, I. (2002). The Japanese mind understanding contemporary

Japanese culture ed. by Roger J. Davies . Tuttle.

Matsumoto, M. (1988). The unspoken way: HARAGEI ; silence in Japanese business and

Society. Kodansha Internat.

Ray, M. (2024, August 29). The tale of Genji. Enciclopedia Britannica.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Tale-of-Genji

Varley, P. (2021). Japanese culture: Fourth edition. University of Hawaii Press.

I am looking forward to visiting Uji with you!

Thank you for reading.

Tanuki Stories — private local tours in Nara, Kyoto, Osaka, Himeji, and Kansai.