Lady Rokujō

Lady Rokujō (六条御息所, Rokujō no Miyasundokoro) is a fictional character in The Tale of Genji (Genji Monogatari). She is the widow of Prince Zembo and a longtime mistress of Genji. She takes the name of her residence, which was located on the Sixth Street (Rokujō) of the capital city Heian-kyō, as an alias. She has great pride, and her jealousy is so strong that subconsciously her ikiryō (wandering spirit) kills Yugao and Lady Aoi, and attacks Murasaki.[1][2]

Lady Rokujo depicted as an ikiryō in the work titled Aoi no Ue (葵上) from the Hokusai Manga by Katsushika Hokusai.

Lady Rokujō is the mother of Akikonomu, and travels with her when Akikonomu becomes the Ise Priestess. After their return to the capital, when she is dying, Lady Rokujō entrusts Genji with guardianship of her daughter (chapter 14).

The character of Lady Rokujō has inspired later writers. She is the protagonist of at least two Noh dramas, Aoi no Ue and Nonomiya ("The Shrine in the Fields"). The former of these was adapted for the modern stage by Yukio Mishima in The Lady Aoi.[2]

References
  1. Bargen, Doris G. (1986). "Yūgao: A Case of Spirit Possession in "The Tale of Genji"". Mosaic: An Interdisciplinary Critical Journal. 19 (3): 15–24. JSTOR 24777633.
  2. Barnes, Nancy J. (1989). "Lady Rokujō's Ghost: Spirit Possession, Buddhism, and Healing in Japanese Literature". Literature and Medicine. 8: 106–121. Project MUSE 376707.


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