560. The Golden Age of Japan: Lady Murasaki and the Shining Prince (Part 1)

At the height of Imperial Japan, during a golden age of court intrigue, obsessive hierarchy, and fabulous sophistication, who was the legendary lothario and emperor’s son, Genji? What can the Tale of Genji - a great masterpiece of Japanese literature - tell us about this remarkable and alien world, and the imperial family at the heart of it? Who was the woman who wrote it, at a time when in the West it would have been unthinkable? What was the influence of China, Japan’s powerful neighbour, on the world the text describes? And, does the story hold the secrets to the divine power of the Japanese emperors…?

Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss the thrilling and romantic Tale of Genji; the historical man behind the myth, and the glorious world of Imperial Japan, with its glittering court.

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Producer: Theo Young-Smith

Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett + Aaliyah Akude

Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices