---
node: murasaki_shikibu
type: person
slug: murasaki_shikibu
title: "Murasaki Shikibu"
lead: "Murasaki Shikibu (c. 973–c. 1014, dates uncertain) was a Heian court lady and the author of the Tale of Genji, often called the world's first novel."
published: 2026-07-09
updated: 2026-07-09
image_file: murasaki_shikibu.jpg
image_source: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portrait_of_Murasaki_Shikibu_04_02.jpg"
image_author: "Kanō Takanobu"
image_license: "Public domain"
---

## Who they were

A court lady who served Empress Shoshi, daughter of the regent Fujiwara no Michinaga. Her real name is unknown: "Murasaki" comes from her heroine, "Shikibu" from her father's office. She knew Chinese literature unusually well for a woman of her day — by tradition, her father let her study alongside her brother.

## What they did

She wrote the Tale of Genji, 54 chapters following the radiant prince Genji and his world. The tale was in circulation by about 1008 and is often called the world's first novel. Her diary and a poetry collection also survive.

## Legacy

Her work stands as the summit of Heian literature. Genji's aesthetic of mono no aware shaped Japanese art, and she now appears on the reverse of the 2,000-yen note.