Special collections exhibition at Waseda: “The Tale of Genji” as a cultural device
Thu, May 26, 2016-
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Waseda Campus, 125th Anniversary Room on the 10th floor of Building 26, May 13, 2016
Sumiyoshi, Jokei. Genji Monogatari Senmen Gajo. Early Edo period. 21.7×28.3cm painting. Waseda University Library.
Kano, Yusei.Genji Monogatari Emaki: Shiki Genji. Late Edo period. 30.5cm, 2 picture scrolls. Waseda University Library.
Katsushika, Hokusai. Genji Karuta. 1812. Playing cards. Waseda University Library.
Rare manuscripts and artifacts on display
A special collections exhibition on “The Tale of Genji” is currently held on campus. This masterpiece, written by Murasaki Shikibu in the eleventh century, is considered to be the world’s first novel.
“The Tale of Genji” has been passed down for centuries in many forms: a textbook for women and children, a manual for writing waka (classical Japanese poetry), a symbol of enthronement, and as a cultural device, like a fashion magazine, to understand the trends and social structure during the Heian period.
This exhibition will mainly display items from the Kuyo Bunko Library.
The Kuyo Bunko Library was originally part of Waseda University’s Professor Emeritus Koichi Nakano’s personal collection. Waseda University Library acquired theses rare manuscripts and artifacts through Professor Emeritus Nakano’s generous donation.
For convenience sake, we divided the exhibition into three themes: annotations, texts, and paintings. However, these items are not bounded by their categories but rather flow together in harmony. This exhibition is open to anyone looking to take a step away from reality and enter the dreamy world of Japanese literature.
Exhibition Information
Dates: May 13 – 28, 2016
Time: 10AM – 6PM
Place: 125th Anniversary Room on the 10th floor of Building 26, Waseda University
