Reflections on The Tale of Genji...Japan is a country blessed with four seasons; seeking beauty in the changing seasons, living in harmony with nature, and treating nature as divine.  A unique culture of respect for nature has been practiced in Japan.  The Tale of Genji, elegantly depicting the lives of court aristocrats in this culture, was created by Murasaki Shikibu more than 1000 years ago in medieval Japan. The aesthetic of expressing seasonal change by layering colored clothing is called kasane no irome, or Juni-Hitoe (twelve layered Kimono), and was cultivated in the Imperial court. One of the ceremonies held in the Imperial Palace was “mogi”, a rite of passage […]