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“The Tale of Genji” is one of the greatest works in Japanese and world literature. It was created at the turn of X-XI centuries, in the era of rapid formation and flowering of Japanese culture. Its author was a lady, known as Murasaki Shikibu.
This book tells about the life of that period in Japan, having some historical incidents, including the life and traditions of samurai. It tells about the life of Genji, a son of the Japanese emperor, also known as Hikaru Genji.
The tale concentrates on his romantic life and describes the customs of the aristocratic society of the time. Genji’s was a well known man, respected and honorable, and also a good looking. His most important personality trait is the loyalty, the trait he shows to all the women in his life.
Once Genji found a house on Gojo, over the roof of which he saw a green vine, with beautiful white flowers called “yugao” – the “twilight beauty”.
“At a guess I see you may indeed be here:
the light silver dew brings to clothe in loveliness
a twilight beauty flower”.

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Soon Geni got acquainted with the lady of the house, they fell in love with each other, and he visited her every night. However, their happiness did not last long, as “an evil spirit possessed Yugao” and she suddenly died.
“Yes, but why should she…? He felt her: she was not breathing. He shook her, but she was limp and obviously unconscious, and he saw helplessly that, child-like as she was, a spirit had taken her”.
Genji was so upset, he blamed himself for the death of his love. “There is no telling how depressed and disappointed he was!” ( Puette, William J, 78)
At the same time he kept everything in a secret, not to let anybody know what had happened, as it was a question of his reputation. With the help of Koremitsu, his confident, Yugao’s funeral was held secretly, but with all due respect.
One evening, one of Yugao’s servant ladies Ukon told Genji who her mistress really was. “Although she had blue blood in her veins, Yugao lost her parents when she was little. So shy and humble was Yugao that she would hide everything behind her sorrowful smiles. But her memories would never perish from Genji’s heart”.

“When the clouds to me seem always to be the smoke that rose from her pyre, how fondly I rest my gaze even on the evening sky!”
It is important to point out, that the main character was a samurai, so he had certain values. An outlook of Samurai – “Bushido” – is the unwritten code of conduct of Samurai in the society, it is a set of rules and norms of the true ideal of a warrior. “Bushido” means “the way of the samurai, the warrior”, in addition the word is also translated as “duty, morality”.
Thus, bushido – is samurai morality, virtue, moral and ethical code. Bushido is a practical morality, samurai believed it is method of improving mental and physical health. Bushido was designed to teach proper life in feudal Japanese society. It combined a theory of existence and the study of the human psyche, and solved issues related to the notion of the essence of the individual, its role in the world, meaning of life, good and evil, moral values and moral ideal.
Samurai was keenly aware of their moral duty, in particular their personal responsibilities in relation to overlord, had to assess their own actions and deeds, morally condemn themselves if misconduct, breach of duty( Puette, William J, 145)