I stumbled across this book while browsing through Overdrive and knew that I was going to read it someday because it’s related to the World of Genji project I’m doing. I kind of put it off for a few weeks because it looked a bit intimidating, but I told Pan Pan about it and basically… Read More The Search for the Beautiful Woman by Cho Kyo
I’m finally back with my World of Genji project research! This isn’t strictly about Heian Japan, but it is about the relationship between Japanese and Chinese culture, which is one of the things that I want to look at. Although the title specifically mentions China and Japan, the history of these creatures covers a few… Read More Creatures Real and Imaginary in Chinese and Japanese Art by Walther G. Von Krenner
It has belatedly occurred to me that as a Singaporean, I have access to J*STOR via the national library. Which is a great way for me to read up on The Tale of Genji without actually having to leave the house. So here are a few papers that I’ve read and what I’ve learnt: The… Read More What I’ve learned from papers about The Tale of Genji
I may have finished The Tale of Genji, but there’s still so much about Heian Japan for me to explore. One of them is The Gossamer Years, the diary of the Heian noblewoman. This woman was connected to both Sei Shonagon (author of The Pillow Book) and Murasaki Shikibu (author of The Tale of Genji)… Read More The Gossamer Years by Michitsuna no Haha, Translated by Edward Seidensticker
I had this while reading the unabridged version of The Tale of Genji and it was honestly a lifesaver! I’m so glad I managed to find a copy of this and The Tale of Genji at the same time. The Reader’s Guide can be broken into three parts: Part 1 is titled The World of… Read More The Tale of Genji: A Reader’s Guide by William J. Puette
I have finally read the unabridged version! It took quite a while to find, but I finally got a library copy of the Arthur Waley translation. I couldn’t decide which translation to buy, or even if I wanted an unabridged translation to keep so I went for whatever the library had first. The Waley translation… Read More The Tale of Genji (Unabridged Version) translated by Arthur Waley
I borrowed this book because it has a chapter on The Tale of Genji, but I have to give it credit for getting me to finally watch Grave of the Fireflies. If you’re like me and haven’t watched that movie, what are you waiting for? It’s a fantastic film and I cried buckets (even though… Read More Anime and the Art of Adaptation
As part of my research into the world of Genji, I decided to read up about the history of Kimono. Unfortunately, most library books are for reference, so I borrowed the only one that wasn’t – The Kimono: History and Style. This book is a very beautiful book that takes a pictorial look at the… Read More The Kimono: History and Style by Ito Sacico
One great thing about this World of Genji research project is that it’s getting me to read all sorts of books I wouldn’t normally pick up, such as this history of Kyoto city. The Tale of Genji is set during the height of the Heian period in Heian-Kyo (premodern Kyoto). Since the World of Shining… Read More Kyoto: An Urban History of Japan’s Premodern Capital by Matthew Stavros
After reading an abridged copy of The Tale of Genji (the unabridged, library copy is proving rather elusive), I decided to read more about Heian Japan, in the hopes of knowing more about the world and hence being able to appreciate the unabridged novel more when I finally find it. The World of the Shining… Read More The World of the Shining Prince by Ivan Morris