Genji and his women
How did a Heian playboy treat women with
different positions and appearence?
About fifteen women in the story had some relationships with him,
and their appearence and personality are interestingly various
enough to make the readers think the main characters of the story
are the women, not Genji. Genji had a bad habit of losing his
interest in a woman if he became sure he could get her. However,
the difference between him and a playboy nowaday is that he took
care of every woman who was involved with him to the end even
after he lost his interest as a lover.
Here, I made a chart of his women to observe how he treated them.
Could a cute woman keep his love with her appearence? Any
advantage with good positions? Education? Poem skills? What sort
of circumstances evoked his sympathy? Can this analysis apply to
the current standard?
Good appearence Top 3
| Name | Position | How Genji treated her | |
| 1 | Tamakazura | OK | In any circumstances, she could overcome every hardship that came her way. She had good appearance and was popular among men, but a little slow to sense her own attractiveness. She was smart, observing things very well calmly. She was loved by Genji so much and is brought to his mansion, but courted by another young nobleman (Higeguro-no-taisho). Her unexpected marriage shocked and upset Genji. |
| 2 | Fujitsubo-no-Chugu | Very Good |
She looked like Genji's mother, Kiritsubo-no-Koui. So she was invited to the court after the death of Kiritsubo-no-koui and becomes a wife of Kiritsubo-in (Genji's father-in-law). She and Genji had an affair and a child who later became an emperor. To protect him, she became a nun. |
| 3 | Aoi-no-ue | Good | Beautiful and cool. Her married life with Genji was the result of the political tactics of their parents, therefore the relationship was just formal without love. |
Bad appearence Top 3
| Name | Position | How Genji treated her | |
| 1 | Suetsumu-no-hana | OK | With a long face and a red nose, her appearence was really terrible, the most terrible one in the story. She did not have any special skill and attractiveness, either. Purely waiting for Genji forever. It can be said she was honest but that means nobody else tried to have an affair with her. Genji helped her poverty with material supplies. |
| 2 | Hanachiru-no-sato | OK | Being different from Suetsumu-no-hana, her personality was soft and kind. Genji did not have a sexual relationship with her, and all the time they talked beyond the curtain. She was very domestic and good at sewing and taking care of children. That attracted Genji, and she was brought to live in his mansion. |
| 3 | Utsusemi | OK | She is said to be a model of Murasaki-shikibu, the author of the story. Her appearence was not good, but humble and graceful, and that attracted Genji. Murasaki-shikibu's personal view of "Internal beauty rather than good appearence" is exaclty shown in her. She was the first one who rejected Genji. |
Who Genji loved the most honestly?
| Name | Position | Looks | Personality, relationship with Genji, etc | |
| 1 | Murasaki-no-ue | OK | Good | Genji's most loved one. Eight years younger than he. Discovered by Genji in her childhood and disciplined as he likes, she was promoted in rank equivalent to an official wife after the death of Aoi-no-ue. She tried not to be jealous to other women who were invited to the mansion. Died without ever getting permission from Genji to become a nun. |
| 2 | Akashi-no-kimi | Low | Good | The most intelligent one in the story. Very sensitive. Being aware of her low position, she was invited to Genji's mansion. But her right to take care of her child was taken by Murasaki-no-ue, Genji's official wife. |
| 3 | Hanachiru-no-sato | OK | Bad | She did not have a good appearance, but was very kind and friendly to Murasaki-no-ue. Brought to live at the mansion, she got the right to take care of Genji's child, Yugiri, and Genji's loved woman, Tamakazura. |
Genji's unforgetable ones (though they did not marry)
| Name | Position | Looks | Personality, relationship with Genji, etc | |
| 1 | Yugao | Very Low |
OK | They fell in love with each other, but at her age seventeen, she died suddenly one night during a tryst at a temple. It was unknown whether the cause of death was a ghost at the temple or the Lady Rokujo's malign spirit. The shortness with her in Genji's long life made her unforgetable. |
| 2 | Tamakazura | OK | Very Good |
She had good appearance, was popular among men, but a little slow to sense her attractiveness. She was smart, observing things very well calmly. She was loved by Genji so much and was brought to his mansion, but courted by another young nobleman (Higeguro-no-taisho). Her unexpected marriage shocked and upset Genji. |
| 3 | Oborozukiyo | Good | Good | The most passionate one in the story. Aggressive in love and had an affair with Genji. She was scheduled to be presented at court, but became a lady-in-waiting of the Suzaku Emperor. |
Who was not compatible to Genji?
| Name | Position | Looks | Personality, relationship with Genji, etc | |
| 1 | Aoi-no-ue | Good | Good | Genji's first offiical wife, four years elder than he. The marriage was by their parent's political tactics, therefore their personalities hardly matches. She was beautiful, well-born, and patient. Because of her personality and elder age, she could not pretend to be meek. Possessed by the Lady Rokujo's jealous spirit after the carriage fight, she was killed by the spirit just after giving birth to Yugiri. |
| 2 | Rokujo-no-Miyasudokoro | Good | OK | Her malign spirit killed Aoi-no-ue and Yugao. The very strong jealousy and high pride caused Genji to keep her away. Upon her return to the capital, she entrusted her daughter to Genji and passeed away. |