The Tale of Genji was written in early eleventh century Japan by Murasaki Shikibu, a court lady and member of a brilliant literary circle of the Heian aristocracy. The novel describes a small, elite ruling class which experiences an extraordinary artistic and cultural renaissance. As the court luxuriates in a lifestyle full of guiltless pleasures in the ancient capital of Kyoto, the rest of the country struggles through a period of great poverty. The tale focuses on the life and loves of the hero Genji, the Shining Prince and the emperor's son. It is a story that delves deep into the human spirit. Romantic ideals of courtly love and the complexities of feminine and masculine natures are thoroughly examined.

Lady Murasaki (fl. ca. 1000) leads us into a breathtaking world of refined court culture, drawing upon her own experiences as a Heian period (794-1186) court lady. Although the characters' lives appear effortless and peaceful, their opulence is juxtaposed with a spiritual pessimism and , a degenerate age of decline in the teachings of the Buddha. Sensitive and sophisticated, an aristocrat's only escape from the oppressive thoughts of the inevitable "latter days of the law," is through the indulgence in the fleeting moment. Love affairs, betrayals, and self-sacrifice are all commonplace. The elaborately coiffed and robed courtesans and courtiers make beauty a ritual and romance an art.