Step into a story of life and love in Kyoto's 10th century royal court.

Tale of Genji, the world's oldest known novel, tells the story of Prince Genji and his adventures in life, love, and power within the halls of the Chrysanthemum Royal Court. Handsome, romantic, and talented in the art of seduction, Prince Genji skillfully navigates the court and all its intrigues—always in search of love and often finding it. His story is the oldest and most famous tale of romance in the annals of Japanese literature and, as a representation of passion and romance, remains beyond compare.

In this beautifully illustrated edition, Genji's story comes alive as readers experience:

His birth in the royal court to Kiritsubo, who comes to represent Genji's ideal of female beauty and grace.
His lifelong obsession with Fujitsubo, one of the emperor's lovers and mother to Genji's son Ryozen.
His romantic life with Murasaki, Fujitsubo's beautiful niece and Genji's favored lover. Though wary of his motivations at first, she becomes the true love of Genji's life.


Lady Murasaki Shikibu wrote this story some 500 years before Shakespeare put pen to paper. It is acknowledged to be the world's very first novel, and English-speaking readers can now experience the story in manga style for the first time.

Superbly illustrated and retold, this visual take on Japan's most important classic offers an intimate look at the social mores and intrigues in the Heian-era court of medieval Japan, and Prince Genji's representation as the ideal male courtier.

Illustrated by: Inko Ai Takita