Excerpt: Jōki Monogatari

It could be said that Amaterasu was proud and bright on the day of the birth of the Emperor’s newest son for the Land of the Rising Sun was covered in her beautiful rays, basking in her glory as a woman lay, panting and sweaty, on her futon. Her handmaidens sat by her side, dampening her forehead and rubbing her stomach soothingly while the healer watched between her legs as the head of the magnificent child peaked into the world.

It was on this day that Lady Kiritsubo gave birth to Hikaru Genji.

That is to say, on this day twenty years ago. In those twenty years, the beautiful woman had since died and was replaced in the Emperor’s eyes with the gorgeous Fujitsubo, whom Genji had loved like a mother and later as a woman. Genji thought of her as he sat, today, in the front car of the train on his way to Heian for words from his father. The loud whistle rung through the air, steam blowing out of the top and fogging up the window for a moment before clearing once more.

The vicious pumping of metal bars and wheels began to slow as they reached the station for the imperial city, where all flourished and operated with precision and art unmatched by any of the other cities in Japan. Paintings and carvings covered the sides of brass poles and heavy machinery, depicting the history told in the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki. Calligraphy adorned all pieces within the city, both detailing the tasks of creating the machine and adding a certain aesthetic touch.

Genji’s wooden sandals padded across the hot metal of the train floor as he walked towards the door, looking at the clock in the center of the station and smiling lightly. The trains in Japan were always on time; nothing nature or man could send would keep them from making it to their next stop on schedule.

"We do not have the day to bask in the sun, Genji, we have a meeting with the Emperor." And all of the young man’s joy at returning to Heian faded away with the voice of his wife. Aoi no Ue and he had been married for eight years, now, but it seemed as though it had been a lifetime. She nagged, complained, and rarely spoke to him as though he were anything more than the dirt on her sandals, let alone her equal or even superior.

Women, he really couldn’t say why he put up with them.