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Paper short abstract:

In this presentation, going beyond the framework of Murasaki Shikibu the individual, I explore the problem of the Tale of Genji's circumstances of production, seeing it as part of the larger political projects centered around Fujiwara no Michinaga and his daughter Shōshi.

Paper long abstract:

In discussing the production of the Tale of Genji, it is important to look also beyond Murasaki Shikibu, never forgetting the efforts of the others on the "authorial" side of things, all of them involved with the Tale's production at various different levels: by ordering its production or drafting its text, by giving advice or spreading word, by circulating or copying manuscripts. Most of these were women whom Fujiwara no Michinaga, the patron backing the Tale of Genji's production, had recruited as ladies-in-waiting to attend upon his daughter Shōshi. Married to the reigning Emperor, Shōshi was herself Empress, but not the only one, and at any time her standing within the Rear Palace -where empresses usually dwelt—was a crucial factor in strengthening Michinaga's monopolization of power at court. Given such a situation, therefore, the degree of cooperation among the ladies-in-waiting supporting Shōshi had to be something stronger than mere group fellowship. As it happened, the group of ladies-in-waiting to which Murasaki Shikibu belonged, centered around Fujiwara no Michinaga's daughter Shōshi, produced one literary masterpiece after another, such as the Tale of Genji, the Murasaki Shikibu Diary, and the Izumi Shikibu Diary. On the level of verbal expression, in fact, there existed deep, mutual relationships to be observed among these books. Indeed, these ladies-in-waiting would seem to have been quite proactively involved in the completion, circulation, and transmission of each other's works. Yet what was the end and purpose of all this? In this presentation, going beyond the framework of Murasaki Shikibu the individual, I explore the problem of the Tale of Genji's circumstances of production, seeing it as part of the larger political projects centered around Fujiwara no Michinaga and his daughter Shōshi.