Since its publication in the eleventh century, The Tale of Genji has had a profound influence on Japanese culture, shaping the development of poetry, prose fiction, drama, art, film, and design. The Tale of Genji is also one of the few Japanese texts to have enjoyed a global reach, recognized as the world's first novel and as a vital component of world literature. Bringing together scholars from across the world, Haruo Shirane presents a fascinating portrait of The Tale of Genji's reception and reproduction over the past thousand years, taking into consideration a wide variety of genres from no plays to Genji paintings to the modern novel. These essays examine the canonization of The Tale of Genji from the late Heian through the medieval, Edo, Meiji, Taish?, prewar, and postwar eras, revealing the work's role in a variety of genres and fields, including modern nation building. They also explore the popularization of the Genji, considering parody, pastiche, and re-creation in various popular and mass media.Since the Genji was written by a woman for female readers, contributors also take up the issue of gender and cultural authority, looking at the novel's function as a symbol of Heian court culture and as an important tool in women's education. Throughout the volume, scholars discuss the visualization of the Genji, from screen painting and woodblock prints to manga and anime. Taking up such recurrent themes as cultural nostalgia, eroticism, and gender, this book presents a comprehensive history of the reception of The Tale of Genji in the country of its origin and throughout the world.