Akashi, now a large city, in Genji's time was a stretch of shore just west of Suma, where the previous chapter was set. About 80 kilometers from Kyoto, in Genji's time it was part of a different province, Harima, while Suma was part of Settsu. In contrast to Settsu, Harima did not form part of the home provinces which were under direct imperial rule, so it was really "countryside." The "Akashi" chapter follows immediately on "Suma" and Genji is 27 years of age.
[Tosa Mitsunobu, Akashi, (Harvard Museum)]
The storm mentioned in the previous chapter keeps raging, even in the capital. Murasaki is so worried about Genji's safety that she sends a messenger from the capital to see if he is safe. Then the wind finally abates (just in time, for the raging waves were coming near to Genji's beach dwelling) and that night in a dream Genji receives an omen from the spirit of his late father, the emperor Kiritsubo, who instructs him to leave Suma and follow the Sumiyoshi god. Genji is visited the next day by a messenger from the Novice of Akashi (Akashi no Nyudo). The novice (a lay priest) has sent a boat to bring Genji to Akashi, and (with his dream still in his mind - the Sumiyoshi god is the god of the sea, and this is a trip over the sea) Genji accepts the invitation to stay at the priest's mansion. In fact, the Akashi Novice likewise has received a divine message from the Sumiyoshi god ordering him fetch Genji from Suma. In fact, for many years the Akashi Novice has been a fervent supplicant to Sumiyoshi, both in prayer and twice-annual pilgrimages to the shrine.
In fact, Genji had already heard about the Akashi Novice and his daughter Akashi no Kimi - in the Murasaki chapter he has learned their story, and now things must fall into place for him.
The Akashi Novice had originally come to Akashi as governor of the province, but decided to settle there for life, taking the tonsure. He was in fact the son of a minister, and had himself risen to the relatively high position of Middle Captain of the Palace Guards before abandoning that post to become Governor of Harima Province. He was also a very rich man. But, as he tells Genji, he has neither forsaken the capital nor the hope of returning to glory. He thinks he still can maintain these high hopes because of his daughter - it has been revealed to him in a dream that his daughter will become the mother of an emperor. Therefore, he has given his daughter an education of a level as high as the princesses in Kyoto, and reared her strictly, instructing her that "if we are not able to realize our ambitions and the revelation does not come true, you are to leap into the sea." In fact, the Akashi Novice is the first cousin of Genji's mother Kiritsubo, so Akashi no Kimi is his second cousin..
Indeed, despite her provincial upbringing, the Akashi Lady is formidably accomplished. While enjoying the hospitality of the Akashi priest, who would like his daughter to marry Genji to fulfill his high hopes, Genji exchanges letters with her, and finds himself attracted to her because she is so well-educated and good-natured. The Akashi Lady herself is reluctant because of the disparity in their social situation, but in August, on the evening of the 13th of the 8th month, under a beautiful full moon, Genji finally visits her at night, acting upon an allusive note from the Akashi Novice "This night should not be wasted". She has her own fine house on a hill on the large estate of her father. Genji goes there on horseback (a carriage will look to formidable) - when he arrives he sees a pavilion finer than the others. "The cypress door upon which the moonlight seemed to focus was slightly open..." That night, they trade vows. The betrothal between Genji and the Akashi Lady thereby is a fact - thanks to the efforts of her father, the lay monk, she has succeeded in "catching" a high-ranking husband from the capital. Genji sends a letter to Murasaki gently hinting at the news. Genji has acquired a new secondary wife (after the death of Aoi, he does not marry with a new first wife).
By the way, the Akashi Lady is not at all elated at taking a position next to Murasaki. She is afraid the gap in status between her and her husband will only bring her unhappiness. Interestingly, one can make a comparison here with the position of Murasaki Shikibu herself, the daughter of one provincial governor and the wife of another. There were no fairy tale finales waiting for such women, and Murasaki Shikibu turns the "monogatari" tradition, in which such Hollywood-like events occur frequently, on its head by realistically showing the burden the high status of her husband places in the Akashi Lady - we will see more of that in the next chapter.
In the meantime, the situation in the capital has changed. The minister of the Right, the father of Empress Dowager Kokiden, has died, and Kokiden herself suffers from illness. In other words, the anti-Genji faction has lost its power. Emperor Suzaku, Genji's half-brother, has had a dream in which his and Genji's deceased father, the former emperor, glares at him, and he has developed an eye ailment as a result.
At the beginning of the new year, Emperor Suzaku starts thinking of abdication, and over the protests of his mother the Empress Dowager, he summons Genji to return to the capital, publicly forgiving him.
By this time, the Akashi Lady is pregnant with Genji's child. She grieves at the parting from Genji, but he has to leave her temporarily in Akashi while he returns to the capital to obey the emperor's summons. He has been away from the capital for a full two years.
Genji-e: Frequent illustrations include: the Akashi priest playing a biwa lute, and
Genji accompanying on the koto, as they gaze upon the
island of Awaji; and Genji going to visit the Akashi Lady, riding on
horseback along the moonlit coast.
[Akashi port]
Visiting
Akashi is 37 min from Osaka Station by JR Special Rapid service. The
300,000 inhabitants city, located in southern Hyogo on the Seto Inland
Sea, opposite Awaji Island, contains no memories of the Tale of Genji.
As the coast has been completely built up, it is difficult to imagine
Genji riding on the beach on his way to the mansion of the Akashi priest
and his prospective wife, the Akashi Lady. What you can see here:
- Visit the castle ruins just behind the station, a popular cherry blossom spot;
- Visit the Kakimoto Shrine, dedicated to 7th century poet Kakinomoto no Hitomaro, considered as "the god of poetry" in Japan, and the writer of poem no 3 in the One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each anthology. The shrine is a 5 min walk from Hiromaru-mae Station on the Sanyo Dentetsu line.
- Visit Uonotani
mall in the center of Akashi, a 350 m long covered street with more
than 100 specialized shops called Uonotana ("fish shelf"). As the name
says, many shops sell the fish hauled fresh from the sea here as sea
bream (madai) and octopus (tako). You can also taste "Akashi-yaki." For a literary octopus, see my Haiku Travels post "Basho and Akashi".