Transitional Chapters: After Genji (Chs. 42-44)
Following Genji’s death, the narrative shifts toward Prince Niou and Kaoru, introducing a new generation shaped by inheritance rather than charisma. These chapters serve as a bridge, reestablishing court politics, marriage strategies, and emotional patterns that echo but cannot replicate Genji’s world.
42. Sweet Perfumes (Niou no Miya)
The chapter opens bluntly: “The shining Genji was dead, and there was no one quite like him.” With this declaration, the narrative formally turns away from Genji and toward the next generation. Attention centers on Prince Niou—Genji’s grandson, known as “His Perfumed Highness”—and on Kaoru, publicly acknowledged as Genji’s son though marked by a more shadowed origin. The two young men are bound by friendship and rivalry, admired as the most eligible bachelors of their time. Niou is impulsive, charming, and sexually confident; Kaoru is inward, hesitant, and morally constrained. The chapter functions as a hinge, orienting the reader toward new protagonists while acknowledging the impossibility of replacing Genji.
Key points
Genji’s death is stated directly and definitively
Narrative focus shifts to the next generation
Niou and Kaoru are framed as complementary opposites
The chapter responds to readerly desire for continuation
43. Red Plum Blossoms (Kōbai)
This brief chapter narrows its focus to Kōbai, the eldest son of the late Tō no Chūjō. Now positioned as a father navigating court politics, Kōbai attempts to secure Prince Niou as a match for his daughter. The maneuvering is restrained but revealing, illustrating how marriage negotiations continue as a central mechanism of power even as the great figures of the past recede.
Key points
Attention shifts to second-generation patriarchs
Marriage remains a political instrument
Niou’s desirability structures court ambition
The chapter serves as connective tissue rather than climax
44. Bamboo River (Takekawa)
The final transitional chapter revisits Tamakazura, now widowed, and follows the fortunes of her children—three sons and two daughters—born of her marriage to Higekuro. Kaoru pays court within this circle, but the match fails to materialize. The narrative lingers on the intricate, sometimes exhausting negotiations surrounding suitable marriages, producing a tone that borders on domestic drama. The effect is deliberately anticlimactic, emphasizing continuity over resolution as the story prepares to move fully into the Uji chapters.
Key points
Tamakazura reappears as matriarch rather than object of desire
Marriage politics dominate the narrative
Kaoru’s emotional reserve limits connection
The tale shifts toward inheritance, strategy, and repetition
