Pop Japan

Add “literature” to the large list of industries that the Japanese have started. The world’s first novel or piece of literature, entitled “The tales of Genji,” is credited to Murasaki Shikibu, a Japanese novelist and poet. The book chronicles Hikaru Genji, a son of a Japanese emperor and a lowly concubine. As he was relegated into a typical civillian, drama and hardships ensue, affecting his everyday life.

The legacy the book left made Shikibu one of the most important figures in literature. Her other literary works are now a special part in the Japanese school curriculums. The Bank of Japan, meanwhile, honored her and one of her novels in the 200 yen banknote.