The tale of Genji” in the clutches of popular culture : how to apply new methodologies to not-so-new works of literature?

"The Tale of Genji" ("Genji monogatari", Japanese: 源氏物語), written by Murasaki Shikibu in the beginning of 11th century, is considered to be the first novel in the world. It also remains a particularly abundant source of knowledge about the Heian period (794-1185). The novel concentrates on the character of prince Hikaru Genji (called “The Shining Prince”), the most flawless hero of all. It tells the story of his life, as well as numerous affairs, and also depicts the customs of the aristocracy of that time within political and sociological context. The characteristics of "The Tale of Genji" and its socio-cultural reception indicate the popcultural character of the novel. Easiness of the presentation and reception, entertaining elements, fulfilment of the needs of a large audience or spreading the meanings and values - those features can be found both in modern works of popular culture (Danesi 2012, Storey 2015, Strinati 2004) and Murasaki’s opus magnum. That is why we propose a new, popcultural research perspective - which would not only broaden the research horizon and allow to draw new conclusions, but would also provide certain content useful for the modern audience.