平安時代(794年～1185年)は日本の黄金時代であり、美しい文化が栄えた時期でした。この時、京都(平安京)が都に指定されてから1,000年以上日本の首都としての役割を果たし、貴族を中心に国風文化が盛行して独自の様式に発展させました。

人々は身分や性別を問わず物の怪(幽霊)、生霊、禁忌などを避けるために努力をしました。文学的にも目覚ましい発展を遂げ、当代の知識人たちは和歌を書いて詠むことが必須の心得であったため、日記文学、物語などの文学様式の作品が多数誕生しました。

源氏物語は、平安時代の女房・紫式部によって描かれた現存最古の小説です。作家の彼女は当代最高の権力家・藤原系の家柄に生まれ、一条天皇の皇后・彰子に仕える女官として働きながら物語を執筆しました。そのため、皇宮の地理と文化について詳しく描写できたのです。

源氏物語の主人公・光源氏は天皇の息子で、早くに亡くした母親への愛着心から生涯を彷徨する人物です。美しい容姿と風流を楽しむ姿で様々な女性と恋人関係に発展します。

源氏と女性貴族たちは、人生で経験できる多様な愛のかたちを見せています。それが時には理解できない平安時代だけの感性かもしれませんが、この世が変わったとしても愛の感情においては変わらないという大前提からオラクルカードで制作することになりました。

このプロジェクトが成功を収めるには皆様の応援とサポートが必要です。

-The Reason Why I Started This Project-

The Heian period(794-1185) was the golden age of Japan, and beautiful culture was flourishing. During this time, Kyoto(Heiankyo) was designated as the capital city and served as the center of Japan for over 1,000 years. Then, the national(Japanese) style culture started to flourish among the noblemen, and developed into its own unique style.

People, regardless of social status or gender, made efforts to avoid things such as ghosts, living spirits, and taboos. There was also remarkable development in literature, and since it was essential for the intellectuals of the time to write and compose Waka(Japanese poetry), many works in various styles such as literature written in diary form and prose were appeared.

The Tale of Genji, which is the oldest one among the extant novels, was written by Murasaki Shikibu, a royal court lady of the Heian period. She was born into the Fujiwara, the most powerful family of the time, and wrote this novel while working as a lady-in-waiting to Emperor Ichijo's empress, Shoko. Therefore, she was able to describe the structure and culture of The Imperial Palace in detail.

The main character, Hikaru Genji, is the son of the emperor and lives a wandering life due to love and lack for his mother, who died when he was very young. With his beautiful appearance and graceful attitude, he develops romantic relationships with various women in the story.

Genji and the noblewomen show us the various forms of love in life. This may be a sensibility unique to the Heian period that is difficult to be understood at these days, but we decided to create an oracle cards deck based on the major premise that even if the world changes, the feeling of love remains the same.

We need your help and support to succeed this project.

源氏物語は世界初の長編小説で、日本文学史において非常に重要な位置を占める作品です。源氏物語は11世紀初期、紫式部によって書かれた作品で、世界初の長編小説として知られています。この作品は、日本文学だけでなく、世界文学史においても重要な位置を占めています。また、この作品は非常に複雑で、心理的に深みのあるキャラクターと複数の要素が積み重なって構成されています。主人公の光源氏の人生と彼の周辺人物の物語を通じて、人間の本性に対する深い洞察を提供します。

源氏物語は、日本の芸術や文化に大きな影響を与えました。この作品は絵画、演劇、音楽など多様な芸術形態で再解釈され、現代の漫画やアニメでもインスピレーションを与えています。また、日本の学校教育の過程で源氏物語は重要な古典文学として扱われ、学生たちが日本の伝統文化と歴史を理解する上で重要な役割を果たしています。

源氏物語は日本文学において非常に重要なものであり、日本国内だけでなく世界的にもその重要性と価値が認められています。「源氏物語オラクルカード」プロジェクトは、このような文学的遺産を現代的に再解釈し、その美しさと知恵を新世代に伝えることを目標としております。

-Production Process of the Project-

The Tale of Genji has an extremely important role in the history of Japanese literature. The story was written by Murasaki Shikibu in the early 11th century, and is known as the world's very first long novel. Therefore, the novel has great significance not only in Japanese literature but also in the history of world literature. Additionally, The Tale of Genji is composed of the characters with a very deep and complex inner side and other complex elements. It allows us to gain deep insight into human nature through the life of the main character, Hikaru Genji, and the stories of the characters around him.

This novel greatly influenced Japanese art and culture. Genji's stories have been reinterpreted in various forms of art, including painting, drama, and music, and are also inspiring modern cartoons and animations. In addition, The Tale of Genji is treated as an important classical literature in school curriculum of Japan, playing an important role in helping students understand traditional culture and history.

The Tale of Genji has been recognized for its significance and value not only in Japan but also around the world. 「The Tale of Genji Oracle Card」 project aims to reinterpret this literary heritage in a modern way and deliver its beauty and wisdom to a new generation.

源氏物語オラクルカードのパッケージは、A5サイズの説明書と47枚のカードデッキで制作されます。 本のように開いて閉じることができ、本棚や机などに本のように保管できるパッケージになっております。また、サイズが大きく、非常に丈夫で高級感もあります。

The Tale of Genji Oracle Card Deck is made of an A5 size manual book and 47 cards. It consists of a package that can be opened and closed like a book. So it can be stored like a book on a bookshelf or a desk. The package is also large in size, durable, and looks luxurious.

カードは全部で47枚で構成されており、サイズは100x150mmです。側面のエッジはグリーン光沢ホイルを施して高級感の漂うカードに作り上げる予定です。裏面はグリーン系のパターンになっております。

材質は光沢UVニスコーティングで、カードの厚さは350gsmです。カードの詳細は下記の「カードデザインプレビュー」でご確認ください！

There are a total of 47 cards that measure 100x150mm. The side edge will be covered with high-quality glossy green foil. The back of the cards will be made with green patterns.

The material would be glossy UV varnish coating and the thickness of the cards would be 350gsm. Please check the "Card Design Preview" below for more details!

A5サイズで製作された説明書は計378枚で構成されており、各カードの説明とリーディング方法、そして各人物に関する沢山の資料が説明書に含まれています。

源氏物語の相関図や、カードに使用した模様などをこの説明書1冊ですべて確認できます。

The instruction manual, produced in A5 size, consists of 378 sheets in total, and includes explanations and reading methods for each card, as well as a lot of information about each character.

You can check all the correlation diagrams of The Tale of Genji and the patterns used on the cards in this one manual.

<源氏物語オラクルカード>は、源氏を取り巻く第１世代の登場人物を中心に構成され、各女性に時間的順序で3枚のカードを配置しました。(愛情の初期、中期、末期)
平安時代の女性たちの愛・悲しみ・人生とともに、当時の王族や貴族の生活を垣間見ることができる衣食住も表現しました。

平安時代のラブレターは「和歌」でした。今と変わらない愛の感情をこの「和歌」の中から見つけ出すことができます。愛は永遠に変わらないテーマです。今はメールやメッセージを送りますが、この時代では「和歌」で気持ちを伝えました。各人物の「和歌」も説明書に乗っていますので是非読んでみて、過去に少しでも戻って愛の感興と情緒を一緒に感じてみてください。

The Tale of Genji Oracle Cards are composed mainly of characters from the first generation surrounding Genji, and three cards are arranged for each woman in chronological order. (Early, middle, and final stages of love)
It depicts the love, sadness, and lives of women during the Heian period, as well as the clothing, food, and shelter that gives a glimpse into the lives of royalty and aristocrats at the time.

In the Heian period, love letters were called ``waka.'' You can find the same feelings of love in this "waka" as you do now. Love is an everlasting theme. Nowadays, we send emails and messages, but in this era, we used waka (Japanese poetry) to express our feelings. The ``waka'' for each character is also included in the instruction manual, so please read it and go back even just a little bit to the past and feel the excitement and emotion of love together.

彼女は後宮の清涼殿、すなわち天皇の居所から最も遠い部屋である桐壺をもらったため桐壺更衣と呼ばれる。天皇に仕える女性たちは家の未来を背負っているため天皇の寵愛を得る必要があった。よって、天皇の愛を独占した桐壺更衣は、ほかの女性の恨みを買うことになった。彼女は結局、他の女性たちの嫉妬に勝つことができずに心の病気を患って実家に戻ることになるが、間もなく死亡してしまう。若くして死を迎えた彼女は、息子・光源氏の成長を見ることができなかった。

3 stories of Kiritsubo no Koi

She was given Kiritsubo, the Seiryoden of the inner palace, which is the room furthest from the emperor's residence, and is therefore called Kiritsubo Koi. Women who served the emperor were responsible for the future of their families, so they needed to win the emperor's favor. As a result, Kiritsubo Koi, who monopolized the love of the Emperor, incurred the resentment of other women. In the end, unable to overcome the jealousy of other women, she suffers from a mental illness and returns to her parents' home, but soon dies. She died at a young age, and was unable to see her son, Hikaru Genji, grow up.

藤壺は平安時代の京都御所の後宮五舎の内の一つである飛香舎が中庭に植えた藤(藤壺)により名付けられた別名であり、弘徽殿と共にある程度の勢力を持った後宮の住居だった。藤壺女御はここに住む後宮であった。桐壺帝は自分の息子である光源氏を紹介しながら、この子の母親があなたと瓜二つなので自分の子のように大切にしてほしいとお願いした。早くに亡くした母親に対する欠乏があった源氏は、藤壺女御に憧れて言うことをよく聞いた。だが、いつしか源氏は成長しながら藤壺女御を片思いするようになる。結局、彼女の寝室に忍び込んで一夜を過ごし、藤壺は子供を妊娠する。

3 stories of Fujitsubo no Nyougo

Fujitsubo is an alias named for the wisteria (Fujitsubo) planted in the courtyard of Hikosha, one of the five harem palaces of the Kyoto Imperial Palace during the Heian period. It was a residence. Fujitsubo Nyogo lived here as a harem. Emperor Kiritsubo introduced his son, Hikaru Genji, and asked him to treat this child as if he were his own, since the child's mother was exactly like you. Genji, who was deprived of his mother who died at an early age, admired Fujitsubo Onnago and often listened to her. However, as Genji grows up, he begins to have unrequited love for Fujitsubo Onnago. In the end, he sneaks into her bedroom and spends the night with her, and Fujitsubo becomes pregnant with her child.

源氏は、官吏たちから女性に関する様々な話を聞くことになった。高貴な女性だけと会う彼としては中・下階級の女性については全く知るすべがなく、この話を聞いて少しずつ興味が沸き始めた。このようにして源氏は他の官吏の妻である空蝉の美貌に惹かれて一夜を過ごすことになった。しかし空蝉は以降、源氏の求愛を断り、断固として彼の接近を防いだ。恐らく彼と関係を持つよりは、自分の生活を守ることが重要であることをよく理解していた賢い女性だったのだろう。後に彼らは恋人ではないが、友として共に過ごした。

3 stories of Utusemi

Genji heard various stories about women from government officials. As a man who only meets noble women, he has no way of knowing anything about middle- or lower-class women, but after hearing this story, his interest gradually began to grow. In this way, Genji was attracted to the beauty of Utsusemi, the wife of another government official, and ended up spending the night with her. However, Utsusemi refused Genji's courtship from then on and resolutely prevented his approach. She was probably a smart woman who understood that protecting her own life was more important than having a relationship with him. Later on, they lived together as friends, though not lovers.

源氏と葵の上の結婚は、桐壺帝が左右大臣の均衡の下で政治をするためには、必要なことだった。だが、結婚した当事者たちは10年近く気持ちが通じ合わない夫婦になってしまった。左大臣家の婿になった光源氏は心細く、なかなか定着できなかった。この時の彼は、心の中で藤壺女御を愛しており、身分の高い六条御息所とも恋人の仲だった。しかし、無愛想な妻だった葵の上が妊娠をすると、初めて夫婦の仲は良くなった。不幸なことにもこの幸せは長続きせず、彼女は生霊によって命を失うことになった。

3 stories of Aoi no Ue

The marriage between Genji and Aoi was necessary for Emperor Kiritsubo to conduct politics in a balanced manner between the left and right ministers. However, the married couples have been unable to understand each other for nearly 10 years. Hikaru Genji, who became the son-in-law of the Sadaijin family, was anxious and had a hard time settling down. At this time, he loved Fujitsubo Onnago in his heart, and was also in a romantic relationship with Rokujo no Miyasudokoro, a high-ranking woman. However, when Aoi no Ue, who had been an unfriendly wife, became pregnant, the couple's relationship improved for the first time. Unfortunately, this happiness did not last long and she was killed by a wraith.

源氏は時折、自分の身分を忘れたかった。帝の皇子や左大臣の婿という現実のもどかしい身分から解放され、さらには六条御息所という高貴な恋人から離れて一息つける時間を求めていた。彼にとって夕顔は、秘密恋愛の相手に適した女性だったわけだ。彼女は可愛くて正直で自己主張をしない女性だった。当時、男性を自分の家に通わせる女性とは、単に軽い恋とは本質的な違いがあった。六条御息所のように大貴族の女性は別だが、夕顔のように両親やしっかりした後見人がいない女の境遇というのは生きていくために必死にならざるを得なかった。

3 stories of Yugao

Genji sometimes wanted to forget his status. He was looking for time to be freed from his frustrating position as the emperor's prince and son-in-law of the Minister of the Left, and to take a breather away from his noble lover, Rokujo no Miyasudokoro. For him, Yugao was the perfect woman for a secret love affair. She was a cute, honest woman who didn't assert herself. At that time, there was an essential difference between a woman who sent a man to her house and a mere casual love affair. Women like Rokujo no Miyasudokoro were different, but women like Yugao, who had no parents or strong guardians, had no choice but to fight desperately to survive.

名門家の娘だった六条御息所は、皇太子の身分だった夫を亡くして娘と共に過ごしていた。そのため源氏の求愛が目に入ってくるはずがなかった。自分に釣り合う男性として源氏はあまりにも若くて無分別に見えただろう。だが、結局源氏が年上である彼女に情熱的に愛の告白をし、彼女も一人寂しく過ごした時間が長かったあまり恋人になった。源氏は早くに母親を亡くしたことに対する傷が深かったからか、年上の女性への求愛がかなり多かったものと見られる。ところが、一旦恋人になるとむしろ源氏の態度が冷たくなり、訪問も以前のように頻繁ではなくなった。その原因は六条御息所にもあるが、彼女は源氏が求めた優しくて従順な女性ではなかったのだ。

3 stories of Rokujo no Miyasudokoro

Rokujo Miyasudokoro, the daughter of a prestigious family, lost her husband, who was the crown prince, and lived with her daughter. Therefore, there was no way that Genji's courtship would come into view. Genji would have seemed too young and inconsiderate to be a suitable man for her. However, in the end, Genji passionately confessed his love to his older girlfriend, and she too became his lover after spending so much time alone. Perhaps because Genji was deeply hurt by the loss of his mother at an early age, he appears to have courted older women quite often. However, once they became lovers, Genji's attitude became rather cold, and his visits became less frequent than before. The reason for this lies in Rokujo no Miyasudokoro, but she was not the kind and obedient woman that Genji wanted.

源氏は紫の上が幼かった時に初めて出会い、彼女を水準の高い教育で育てた。源氏は彼女に父親、兄、そして後には夫としての役割をすることになった。彼女はこの時から33年間を源氏の傍で過ごすが、正妻になる女性は他に存在した。彼女は源氏が長い間愛した藤壺を超える知性と気品を備え、源氏の家の大小事を総括したので、実質的な源氏の妻だったが、源氏はこの部分においてとても大きな失敗をすることになるのだ。彼女は自分が正妻になれなかったことに非常に大きなショックを受け、結局はこれが原因でこの世を去ることになる。源氏は彼女が死んで初めて自分にとって運命の女性は紫の上であったことに気付き、後悔する。

3 stories of Murasaki no Ue

Genji first met Murasaki no Ue when she was young and raised her with a high standard of education. Genji was to serve as her father, brother, and later husband. From then on, she spent 33 years by Genji's side, but there was another woman who became his legal wife. She possessed intelligence and elegance that exceeded Fujitsubo, whom Genji loved for a long time, and she was in charge of all the major and minor affairs of the Genji family, so she was effectively Genji's wife, but Genji made a huge mistake in this area. It becomes. She was deeply shocked by the fact that she could not become a legal wife, and ended up dying because of this. Only after she dies does Genji realize that Murasaki was the woman who was destined for him, and he regrets it.

夕顔を亡くした源氏はしばらく寂しさに苦しみ、彼女の代わりになる女性がいないかあれこれ考えながら過ごしていた。そんな中、末摘花に関する噂を聞くことになる。彼女は身分の高い家の娘だが、両親が亡くなって没落した女性だった。友達である頭中将と妙なライバル心が生まれた源氏は、自分が先に末摘花の恋人になると心を決める。そして、夜遅くに彼女の家を訪ね、一日の縁を結んだ。暗闇の中で焦った源氏は彼女の顔も確認できなかったが、夜が明けて彼女の醜い顔を見て驚愕した。以降、源氏は彼女の元を訪ねないが、月日が経って偶然彼女の家の近くを通ると、すっかり忘れていた彼女が今も変わらず自分を待っていたことを知る。そして、彼女を自分の邸宅に迎え入れて経済的支援をすることになった。

3 stories of Suetsumuhana

After Yugao passes away, Genji suffers from loneliness for a while and spends his time wondering if there is a woman who can replace him. Meanwhile, he hears rumors about Suetsuka. She was the daughter of a high-ranking family, but she fell into ruin after her parents died. Genji develops a strange rivalry with his friend, Tono Chujo, and decides that he will become Suetsuka's lover first. Then, I visited her house late at night and we tied the knot for the day. Genji, who was in a panic in the darkness, could not even see her face, but when dawn broke and he saw her ugly face, he was shocked. Genji does not visit her after that, but when he happens to pass by her house as time passes, he learns that the woman he had completely forgotten was still waiting for him. He then decided to welcome her into his mansion and provide financial support.

朧月夜は正式に帝の中宮になれる機会を源氏のせいで逃すことになった女性だ。正確に言うならば、そのような結果になっても源氏との関係を止められなかった。本来、春になれば朱雀帝の后として入内する予定だったが、源氏との仲が右大臣側と帝に発覚してしまい入内が保留されてしまったのだ。すなわち后になる資格を失ったのだ。ところが、幸いにも帝の希望と寵愛を受けて尚侍となった。尚侍は家柄が良くて世の信望が高い家の未婚の女性が選ばれたが、既婚女性も選ばれたようだ。尚侍になった朧月夜は帝の愛を受けるが、彼女は源氏が忘れられず二人はこっそり関係を続けた。そしてこの事件で源氏は失脚し、政治的危機を迎えることになる。

3 stories of Oborozukiyo

Oborozukiyo is a woman who was forced to miss out on the chance to officially become the emperor's central court because of Genji. To be precise, even with such a result, he could not stop his relationship with Genji. Originally, she was scheduled to enter the Imperial Palace in the spring as the empress of Emperor Suzaku, but her relationship with the Genji clan was discovered by the Minister of the Right and the Emperor, and her entrance into the Imperial Palace was put on hold. In other words, she lost the qualification to become the empress. However, fortunately, he received the emperor's wishes and favor and became a samurai. Samurai were chosen as unmarried women from families with good standing and high reputation in society, but it seems that married women were also chosen. Oborozukiyo, who became a samurai, fell in love with the emperor, but she could not forget Genji and the two secretly continued their relationship. This incident led to Genji's downfall and a political crisis.

花散里の容姿は平凡だったが、光源氏の傍で長い生涯を得た。彼女は源氏が政治的窮地に追い込まれた時、常に心の安定を与えてくれる対象だった。特に家事が得意だった彼女は、刺繍や染物も上手で、温厚な性格で源氏に安らぎを与えた。源氏が様々な女性と愛を交わすことについてもあまり嫉妬心はなく、平穏な日々を送った。彼女は年を取った源氏が出家して亡くなった後も六條院の邸宅で暮らし、成長した源氏の息子・夕霧が結婚するとその夫婦に邸宅を譲って源氏が彼女に遺産として渡した二条院に入って生活を送ることになる。

3 stories of Hanachirusato

Although Hanachirisato was ordinary in appearance, he lived a long life by Hikaru Genji's side. She was the one who always gave Genji peace of mind when he was forced into a political predicament. She was especially good at housework, was also good at embroidery and dyeing, and had a gentle personality that made Genji feel at ease. He did not have much jealousy over Genji's love affairs with various women, and lived a peaceful life. Even after Genji became a priest and passed away, she continued to live in the mansion in Rokujoin, and when Genji's grown-up son, Yugiri, got married, she handed over the mansion to the married couple, and Genji gave her the Nijo property as an inheritance. He will go to hospital and live his life.

明石に土着して金持ちになった明石の入道の一人娘である明石の方は、政治的に失脚して彷徨していた時代の源氏と出会うことになった。彼女の父親には、源氏を婿に迎えて自分の家門を復興させたいという夢があった。時間が流れて二人は自然と夫婦になった。しかし、この幸せな時間は長くは続かなかった。明石の方は都に再び復帰する源氏をただ送り出すことしかできず、二人はしばらく別れることになるが、明石の方は間もなく娘を出産する。以降、娘を連れて源氏の元を訪ねるが、そこには自分の居場所はなかった。明石の方は娘を大切に育ててほしいと源氏に頼み、一人で故郷に戻る。随分時間が経ってから源氏は彼女を自分の邸宅に呼び、楽に過ごせるように配慮した。

3 stories of Akashi no kata

Akashi, the only daughter of a monk from Akashi who settled in Akashi and became rich, ended up meeting the Genji of the era, who had fallen from power politically and was wandering. Her father had a dream of marrying Genji and restoring his family. As time passed, the two naturally became a couple. However, this happy time did not last long. Akashi can only send Genji away when he returns to the capital, and the two are separated for a while, but Akashi soon gives birth to a daughter. After that, he took his daughter to visit Genji, but he found that he did not belong there. Akashi asks Genji to take good care of his daughter and returns to his hometown alone. After a long time had passed, Genji called her to his residence and made sure that she was comfortable.

源氏についての噂はすでに広く広まっていた。そのため、朝顔の姫君は「絶対に自分は彼に振り回されない」と固く決意し、源氏から届く文に返答を送らなかった。源氏と朝顔の姫君は従兄妹だが、彼の美しい姿を見た朝顔の姫君も心の中では感嘆したことがあった。しかし、彼女は祈祷し、仏教の道に入って忠実に生きようとした。どんな女性でも手に入れた源氏としては、失敗した唯一の女性がまさに朝顔の姫君だ。

3 stories of Asagao no Himekimi

Rumors about Genji were already widely spread. As a result, Princess Asagao made a firm determination that she would never be swayed by him, and did not respond to the letter she received from Genji. Genji and the Morning Glory Princess are cousins, but the Morning Glory Princess once saw his beauty and admired him in her heart. However, she prayed, entered the path of Buddhism, and tried to live faithfully. Genji was able to get any woman he wanted, but the only one he failed at was the Morning Glory Princess.

彼女は六条御息所の娘で、伊勢神宮の斎宮に選定された。最高位の神であるアマテラスを祀る場所であり、帝が変わるまでは神宮の外に出られない厳しい規則があったので斎宮に抜擢されるということは俗世と分離するという意味があった。彼女はしばらく伊勢の斎宮として首都から離れて過ごしていたが、帝が変わったことで再び京都に戻ってくる。この時から退位した上皇朱雀と源氏の二人から愛される状況になる。しかし、彼女は両者に簡単には心を許さなかった。やはり母・六条御息所の影響が大きかったのだろう。彼女はとても賢明に世渡りした。そのおかげで帝の女御になる機会を手に入れることができた。さらに彼女は眼識があって趣味生活が帝と同じだったためすぐに彼の心を虜にした。

3 stories of Akikonomu Chugu

She was the daughter of Rokujo Mishudokoro and was selected as the Saigu of Ise Grand Shrine. It was a place where Amaterasu, the highest deity, was worshiped, and there were strict rules that prevented people from leaving the shrine until the emperor changed, so being selected as a Saigu meant separating from the secular world. She spent some time away from the capital as a Saigu of Ise, but when the emperor changed, she returned to Kyoto. From this time on, he was loved by both the retired Emperor Suzaku and Genji. However, she did not give up on either of them easily. As expected, his mother, Rokujo Misudokoro, probably had a great influence on him. She moved into the world very wisely. Thanks to this, she was able to obtain the opportunity to become the emperor's mistress. Furthermore, she was discerning and had the same hobbies as the emperor, so she quickly captured his heart.

玉鬘の母親は源氏の恋人であった夕顔で、父親は友達の頭中将だった。しかし、母親が亡くなると乳母と共に九州地方で過ごすことになるが、強制的な結婚を避けるために夜逃げをする。そして、玉鬘は源氏に世話をされながら彼の邸宅で過ごすが、やはり源氏から言い寄られる。しかし、彼女は強く抵抗し、源氏も退くしかなかった。この時、鷹狩りという行事があったが、玉鬘は帝から目が離せなかった。彼の美しさは源氏と似ているようでもあり、若い上に帝としての品位が備わっていて源氏より素晴らしく玉鬘の目に映った。ところが、尚侍での入内の提案に決断が下せずに躊躇っていると、彼女は他の男性の接近によって結局帝と結ばれなくなる。

3 stories of Tamakazura

Tamakazura's mother was Yugao, who was Genji's lover, and his father was his friend Tono Chujo. However, when her mother dies, she ends up living in the Kyushu region with her nanny, but runs away at night to avoid being forced into marriage. Tamakazura then spends her time at Genji's residence being taken care of by Genji, but he is still approached by Genji. However, she strongly resisted, and Genji had no choice but to retreat. At this time, there was an event called falconry, but Tamakazura could not take his eyes off the emperor. His beauty seemed to be similar to Genji's; he was young and possessed the dignity of an emperor, and his tamakazura was even more beautiful than Genji's. However, when she is unable to make a decision and hesitates about the proposal to join the imperial family as a samurai, she ends up not being able to marry the emperor due to the approach of another man.

源氏と女三宮の結婚話には心が惹かれる点がある。それは皇女との結婚という点だった。なぜならば現在、源氏の妻たちは皆源氏の庇護を必要とする人だけで、明石の君の両親は健在で財力も十分だが地方の中流層に過ぎなかった。そのため結婚で源氏の地位を昇格したり、栄誉を輝かせたりする力が足りないのだ。そして、今源氏の地位に相応しい正妻の存在も必要だった。この時代、一品の宮や二品の宮という地位に上がれる皇女は天皇制を支える重要な中心人物だった。併せて源氏は女三宮が藤壺の宮の姪にあたるという点に惹かれた。すでに源氏は藤壺の姪である紫の上を傍に置いているが、女三宮は帝の皇女なので紫の上より格が上の女君だった。しかし、箱入り娘のように大切に育てられた彼女に対して源氏は愛情を感じられなかった。

3 stories of Onna Sannomiya

There is something fascinating about the marriage story between Genji and Onna Sannomiya. It was about marrying the princess. This is because all of Genji's wives currently needed the protection of Genji, and although Akashi's parents were still alive and well endowed with sufficient financial resources, they were only members of the rural middle class. As a result, they lacked the power to elevate the Genji status and shine through marriage. Also, it was necessary to have a legal wife who was suitable for the status of the Genji clan. During this period, princesses who rose to the status of Ippin no Miya or Nippon no Miya were important central figures supporting the imperial system. Genji was also attracted to the fact that Onna Sannomiya was Fujitsubo no Miya's niece. Genji already had Fujitsubo's niece, Murasaki no Ue, by his side, but Onna Sannomiya was the emperor's princess, so she had a higher status than Murasaki no Ue. However, Genji could not feel any love towards her as she was raised with care like a girl in a box.

彼女は若くして内侍所(ないしどころ-三種の神器の鏡を祀る場所)の女官として宮中に出入りして帝の信頼を得た後、典侍(内侍所の次官)になった。名字の源は皇族につながる先祖がいるという意味だ。彼女はセンス・人格・才能に優れたうえに、帝の信頼も厚い高級女官だが、とても男好きだった。物語の中では教養と才能がある人として描写されて美声の持ち主で琵琶の名手であり、彼女の演奏を聴くと源氏も自然と心が惹かれたそうだ。若き頃、偶然彼女と縁があった源氏は時折、友達からこの事でからかわれたりもした。

3 stories of Gen no Naishinosuke

At a young age, she visited the imperial court as a lady-in-waiting at Naishidokoro (a place where the mirrors of the three sacred treasures are enshrined) and gained the trust of the emperor, before becoming a noshidokoro (vice minister at Naishidokoro). The origin of his surname means that he has an ancestor connected to the imperial family. She was a high-ranking lady-in-waiting with excellent taste, personality, and talent, and was highly trusted by the emperor, but she was also very fond of men. In the story, she is portrayed as a well-educated and talented person with a beautiful voice and a master of the biwa, and when Genji heard her performance, he was naturally attracted to her. When he was young, Genji, who happened to have a relationship with her, was sometimes teased about this by his friends.

光源氏は桐壺帝が最も愛した後宮の息子で、美しい容姿と優れた才能を譲り受けて多くの女君と関係を結んだ。そのため輝くという意味の”光”と呼ばれた。源氏は臣籍降下後の姓源氏を意味するので光源氏は彼の本命ではない。日本を訪問した渤海人(ぼっかいじん)の占い師が源氏に対して、「あなたの子供の一人は帝になり、一人は中宮になり、一人は太政大臣になる」と予言する。実際に婚外子の冷泉が帝、娘の明石の姫君が中宮、息子の夕霧が太政大臣になる。源氏は六條院を建てて紫の上を始めた女君たちに家を一対ずつ与えて風流を楽しみながらこの上なく華やかな生活を送った。しかし、彼の晩年は華やかだった恋愛遍歴に比べて非常に物寂しいものだった。

3 stories of Genji

Hikaru Genji was the son of Emperor Kiritsubo's most beloved concubine, and he inherited his beautiful appearance and outstanding talent, and he had relationships with many ladies. For this reason, it was called ``light,'' which means to shine. Hikaru Genji was not his favorite name because Genji means the surname Genji after being demoted to the status of a subject. A Bokkaijin fortune teller who visited Japan predicted to Genji, ``One of your children will become emperor, one will become Chugu, and one will become Grand Minister.'' In fact, Reizei, who was born out of wedlock, became the emperor, his daughter Akashi's princess became the Chugu, and his son Yugiri became the Grand Minister. Genji built Rokujo-in Temple and gave a pair of houses to each of the ladies who had started Murasaki no Ue, and they lived a most luxurious life enjoying the elegance. However, his later years were very melancholy compared to his colorful love life.