Niou Miya
Title
Waley has "Niou", Seidensticker "His Perfumed Highness", Tyler "The Perfumed Prince" and Washburn "The Fragrant Prince" I think "The Perfumed Prince" is best, as in contrast to Kaoru's natural fragrance, Prince Niou uses artificial perfumes to exude a nice smell.
Chronology
A gap of 8 years separates "The Perfumed Prince" from "The Spirit Summoner." Readers gather that Genji died after spending two or three years in seclusion as a priest at his Saga temple. In the meantime, the Cloistered Emperor Suzaku, Hotaru, To no Chujo and Higekuro all have died as well.
Position in the Genji
This chapter serves to reintroduce the two main protagonists of the last part of the tale, Prince Niou and Kaoru. We last saw them as young children living together at Rokujo, but now they are around twenty years of age and eligible bachelors. Prince Niou is the third son of the reigning emperor and Genji's daughter, the Empress Akashi; Kaoru is Genji's purported youngest son but actually the child of his wife, the Third Princess, and Kashiwagi. Both are characterized by the wonderful scent they exude, but in a different way, which also points at their different characters. Kaoru’s scent is natural, ethereal and of his essence, while Niou’s is superficial, but sensual, and stirring.
This chapter, together with the two next ones, is sometimes called "The three Niou chapters," - although Niou doesn't play any role in the third chapter "Takekawa." These three chapters are sometimes considered as belonging to the third of the four parts in which scholars usually divide the Genji, but it is more common to count them as belonging to the fourth and last part, together with the ten Uji chapters. And as Kaoru is the true protagonist of these 13 chapters, some scholars even speak about the "Kaoru Monogatari," "The Tale of Kaoru," as the continuation of the Genji Monogatari.
This chapter, together with the two next ones, is sometimes called "The three Niou chapters," - although Niou doesn't play any role in the third chapter "Takekawa." These three chapters are sometimes considered as belonging to the third of the four parts in which scholars usually divide the Genji, but it is more common to count them as belonging to the fourth and last part, together with the ten Uji chapters. And as Kaoru is the true protagonist of these 13 chapters, some scholars even speak about the "Kaoru Monogatari," "The Tale of Kaoru," as the continuation of the Genji Monogatari.
[Niou, by Tosa Mitsunobu. Harvard Art Museums]
Synopsis
This chapter takes place eight years after "Maboroshi" (Spirit Summoner) and starts with the observation "Genji was dead, and there was no one to take his place." Kaoru and Niou have the reputation of being the greatest noblemen of the day, but they are not up to the level of Genji - they owe their fame solely to the fact that they are so closely connected to him. Just like Genji and To no Chujo in the past, they are friends but also rivals.Genji's grandson Niou was Murasaki's favorite and has inherited the Nijo Palace from her. His uncle - Genji's son - Yugiri, who has many daughters, wants him to marry one of them, but Niou is not really interested - he is something like a dandy and prefers to keep his options open.
Yugiri himself dutifully divides his time between his two wives, Princess Ochiba (living at the Summer residence in Rokujo) and Kumoi no Kari (living at the Sanjo Palace). He has entrusted his most prized daughter, Roku no Kimi (whose mother is Koremitsu's daughter) to Princess Ochiba to have her brought up as a well-educated lady.
Yugiri does his best to keep his inheritance, the large Rokujo Estate (lying in a distant part of the capital not very popular among courtiers), flourishing. Some of the ladies have moved out: Hanachirusato has moved to the East Pavilion of the Nijo Palace, and the Third Princess has moved to the Sanjo Palace. But most of the numerous children of the Akashi Empress now live in the Rokujo Estate.
Although Kaoru has been spoiled and pampered by Emperor Reizei and Empress Akikonomu, who are themselves without children, he is not a happy man - he harbors a vague suspicion about his birth, and considers life as somewhat dull, even thinking to become a priest.
Strangely, Kaoru smells sweet by nature, "the same smell as that of the Buddha." To compete with him, Prince Niou devotes himself to the art of perfuming his clothes by incense, so that people call him "the perfumed prince." In their youth, they grew up together, almost like brothers. Public attention is focused on these two men and many influential families want them to marry their daughters. However, Niou has a secret preference for Emperor Reizei's daughter, the First Princess, while Kaoru is stuck in a very pessimistic view of life, and doesn't want to have any serious love affairs he may later come to regret.
On New Year's day, when Kaoru is twenty, Yugiri holds a banquet at the Rokujo Estate after an archery contest. Not only Niou, but also Kaoru, joins the splendid banquet. Yugiri's ulterior motive is to entice potential sons-in-law, especially Niou, but nothing happens - the chapter ends inconclusively, according to Waley even in mid-sentence, as if part is missing.
Genji-e (Information from JAANUS)
The episode most frequently chosen for illustration from this chapter is the procession of Yugiri to the Rokujo estate with Niou, Kaoru and many others in a light snow flurry after an archery match in the First Month (as in the illustration above).