Illustrated Tale of Genji

A Dictionary of Court Customs and Practices from the Tale of Genji, with 600 Illustrations and 1,000 Detailed Explanations

Unlike reading modern literature, reading and studying classical literature requires a certain amount of prior knowledge. This includes knowledge of classical grammar and archaic language learned in high school classes and while studying for entrance exams. However, another essential element is knowledge of "Court Customs and Practices." This refers to the customs and rules of the imperial court and samurai classes, but it would be better to broaden it to encompass the general aspects of people's lives at the time. This book comprehensively extracts 1,000 terms related to court customs that appear in "The Tale of Genji," and organizes them into the following 13 chapters: 1. Heian-kyo and the Palace; 2. Architecture; 3. Furniture; 4. Vehicles; 5. Clothing; 6. Colors and Patterns; 7. Music and Bugaku; 8. Games and Amusements; 9. Religion; 10. Events; 11. Rites of Passage; 12. Aspects of Aristocratic Life; and 13. Flora and Fauna. Each topic is explained in detail, making full use of 280 color photographs and 320 black-and-white illustrations. While there are several specialized books that rely heavily on illustrated catalogs and documented explanations, this book is aimed at the general reader, is easy to read and interesting, and, with explanations based on examples from The Tale of Genji, is also useful for understanding Genji. There is no other book like this. We look forward to hearing from classics lovers who say, "We've been looking for a book like this.