After being further discouraged by a prediction by a fortuneteller that the country would be thrown into chaos if Hikaru would ascend to the throne, the Emperor lowered Hikaru's rank to civilian, giving him the clan name Minamoto (Genji).

He was however worried that his second son had no support from his maternal line. His father Emperor Kiritsubo considered appointing Hikaru the crown prince. Pursuit of the feminine ideal represented by his deceased mother is an important element that drives many of his subsequent romantic pursuits. His mother died when he was only three years old. Genji was blessed with peerless beauty and genius, even from infancy, and was nicknamed 'the Shining Prince'. Hikaru Genji was born the second son of Emperor Kiritsubo (桐壺帝) by his lower ranked consort, Kiritsubo no Koi ( 桐壺更衣). It is common to divide the tale into three parts, and this article follows that custom, but the division is not made explicit in the original version of the story written by Lady Murasaki. The ages of characters are counted in kazoedoshi ( 数え年), as the story discusses. Portrait of Murasaki Shikibu, the author of The Tale of Genji. While fictitious, Genji is thought to be inspired by real historical figures, including Minamoto no Tōru, who was a grandson of Emperor Saga, hence one of the Saga Genji clan.

He is usually universally depicted as possessing unrivaled beauty and charisma in all subsequent media adaptations. The character of Hikaru Genji has had several adaptations in other media, from different iterations of The Tale of Genji. Describing his superlative qualities, Murasaki wrote: 'but to recount all his virtues would, I fear, give rise to a suspicion that I distort the truth.' His appearance was said to tempted men and women alike, having desirable features such as smooth white skin, accredited fashion, and famed popularity. It's implied that Hikaru Genji was extremely attractive and talented, easily gaining the favor of those around him at a young age. He is often called Genji when speaking of the story. He is also referred to as Rokujō no In ( 六条院), sometimes abbreviated as In ( 院). 'Hikaru' means 'shining', which is a nickname deriving from his appearance. His true given name is never referred to in the story, like most other characters. ' Genji' is the surname as a noble demoted from royalty.

He appears from the first volume 'Kiritsubo' to the 40th volume 'Illusion'. The first part of the story concentrates on his romantic life, and in the second, his and others' internal agony is depicted. Genji is the second son of a Japanese emperor, but he is relegated to civilian life for political reasons and lives as an imperial officer. The story describes him as a superbly handsome man and a genius. Hikaru Genji ( 光源氏) is the protagonist of Murasaki Shikibu's important Heian-era Japanese novel The Tale of Genji.

Pepakura genji