世界最初の小説
Written by Murasaki Shikibu around 1000 AD, this Japanese masterpiece is widely considered the world's first novel. Through the life and romantic entanglements of Prince Genji, it explores the aesthetic concept of 'mono no aware' (the pathos of things)—a bittersweet awareness of impermanence that defines Japanese aesthetics.
Introduced psychological depth and aesthetic sensitivity as literary values. The concept of 'mono no aware' became central to Japanese art, design, and philosophy, influencing everything from wabi-sabi ceramics to contemporary minimalism.