The Tale of Genji – Colors of the Fifty-four Chapters

by Yoshioko Sarasa

Written in the early 11th century, ‘The Tale of Genji’ by Murasaki Shikibu centres on the life of prince Hikaru Genji. While recounting his love affairs and court successes, it also offers a glimpse into the life of the nobility at the height of Heian dynastic culture. Each of the 54 chapters has scenes featuring colours. It describes in detail how courtiers dressed in garments of various shades and combinations to reflect the transition of the seasons. Yoshioka Sachio (1946–2019), the original author of this book, spent more than ten years researching this aspect of ‘The Tale of Genji’. He then faithfully reproduced the colours using the materials and techniques used at the time.

272 pages, Paperback

Published February 1, 2024

Reviews

[Lizzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating accompaniment to The Tale of Genji, visualising the characters in every chapter.
A creative project like this sounds like an actual dream!

[Jeroen Nijs · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully produced book in which Mr. Yoshioka, a master fabric dyer (and after his sudden death, his daughter), have painstakingly reproduced the dyed fabrics that are described in the almost thousand year old Tale of Genji. The authentic dying processes sound incredibly labour intensive, but the results are stunning.
Text is both in Japanese and English, although the latter contains a few grammatical errors, which didn’t bother me.

[Alexandra Guillot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very beautiful and thoughtfully crafted. It can only act as an accompaniment to the tale of genji, but certainly gives insight and depth. I was especially taken by descriptions of the colours for funerals and mourning.