WRITER
Murasaki Shikibu
973 - 1014

Murasaki Shikibu
Murasaki Shikibu (紫式部; [mɯ.ɾa.sa.kʲi ɕi̥.kiꜜ.bɯ, -ɕi̥ꜜ.kʲi-], c. 973 – c. 1014 or 1025), or Shijo (紫女; [ɕiꜜ.(d)ʑo], lit. 'Lady Murasaki'), was a Japanese novelist, poet and lady-in-waiting at the Imperial court in the Heian period. She was best known as the author of The Tale of Genji, widely considered to be one of the world's first novels, written in Japanese between about 1000 and 1012. Murasaki Shikibu is a descriptive name; her personal name is unknown, but she may have been Fujiwara no Kaoruko (藤原香子), who was mentioned in a 1007 court diary as an imperial lady-in-waiting. Heian women were traditionally excluded from learning Chinese, the written language of government, but Murasaki, raised in her erudite father's household, showed a precocious aptitude for the Chinese classics and managed to acquire fluency. Read more on Wikipedia
Her biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Murasaki Shikibu is the 186th most popular writer (up from 187th in 2019), the 18th most popular biography from Japan (up from 20th in 2019) and the 6th most popular Japanese Writer.
Murasaki Shikibu is most famous for writing The Tale of Genji, which is considered the world's first novel.
Memorability Metrics
Page views of Murasaki Shikibu by language
Among WRITERS
Among writers, Murasaki Shikibu ranks 186 out of 7,302. Before her are Stéphane Mallarmé, Fernando Pessoa, Al-Masudi, Mikhail Bulgakov, Catullus, and Taras Shevchenko. After her are Lope de Vega, John Steinbeck, Adam Mickiewicz, Sigrid Undset, Halldór Laxness, and Petronius.
Most Popular Writers in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsStéphane Mallarmé
1842 - 1898
HPI: 78.77
Rank: 180
Fernando Pessoa
1888 - 1935
HPI: 78.77
Rank: 181
Al-Masudi
896 - 956
HPI: 78.74
Rank: 182
Mikhail Bulgakov
1891 - 1940
HPI: 78.73
Rank: 183
Catullus
84 BC - 54 BC
HPI: 78.70
Rank: 184
Taras Shevchenko
1814 - 1861
HPI: 78.66
Rank: 185
Murasaki Shikibu
973 - 1014
HPI: 78.63
Rank: 186
Lope de Vega
1562 - 1635
HPI: 78.62
Rank: 187
John Steinbeck
1902 - 1968
HPI: 78.61
Rank: 188
Adam Mickiewicz
1798 - 1855
HPI: 78.60
Rank: 189
Sigrid Undset
1882 - 1949
HPI: 78.56
Rank: 190
Halldór Laxness
1902 - 1998
HPI: 78.54
Rank: 191
Petronius
27 - 66
HPI: 78.54
Rank: 192
Contemporaries
Among people born in 973, Murasaki Shikibu ranks 2. Before her is Al-Biruni. After her are Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor, and Al-Maʿarri. Among people deceased in 1014, Murasaki Shikibu ranks 1. After her are Sweyn Forkbeard, Samuel of Bulgaria, Sigrid the Haughty, Rajaraja I, Bagrat III of Georgia, Brian Boru, and Al-Hakim al-Nishapuri.
Others Born in 973
Go to all RankingsAl-Biruni
MATHEMATICIAN
973 - 1048
HPI: 83.73
Rank: 1
Murasaki Shikibu
WRITER
973 - 1014
HPI: 78.63
Rank: 2
Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor
POLITICIAN
973 - 1024
HPI: 78.04
Rank: 3
Al-Maʿarri
WRITER
973 - 1057
HPI: 70.73
Rank: 4
Others Deceased in 1014
Go to all RankingsMurasaki Shikibu
WRITER
973 - 1014
HPI: 78.63
Rank: 1
Sweyn Forkbeard
POLITICIAN
960 - 1014
HPI: 77.00
Rank: 2
Samuel of Bulgaria
POLITICIAN
958 - 1014
HPI: 74.85
Rank: 3
Sigrid the Haughty
COMPANION
968 - 1014
HPI: 69.18
Rank: 4
Rajaraja I
POLITICIAN
947 - 1014
HPI: 68.37
Rank: 5
Bagrat III of Georgia
POLITICIAN
960 - 1014
HPI: 68.27
Rank: 6
Brian Boru
POLITICIAN
941 - 1014
HPI: 64.11
Rank: 7
Al-Hakim al-Nishapuri
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
933 - 1014
HPI: 62.95
Rank: 8
In Japan
Among people born in Japan, Murasaki Shikibu ranks 18 out of 6,245. Before her are Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536), Haruki Murakami (1949), Yukio Mishima (1925), Yasunari Kawabata (1899), Hideki Tojo (1884), and Emperor Taishō (1879). After her are Shinzō Abe (1954), Satoshi Nakamoto (1975), Hiroo Onoda (1922), Yoko Ono (1933), Isoroku Yamamoto (1884), and Emperor Jimmu (-711).
Others born in Japan
Go to all RankingsToyotomi Hideyoshi
POLITICIAN
1536 - 1598
HPI: 81.12
Rank: 12
Haruki Murakami
WRITER
1949 - Present
HPI: 80.40
Rank: 13
Yukio Mishima
WRITER
1925 - 1970
HPI: 79.92
Rank: 14
Yasunari Kawabata
WRITER
1899 - 1972
HPI: 79.61
Rank: 15
Hideki Tojo
POLITICIAN
1884 - 1948
HPI: 78.95
Rank: 16
Emperor Taishō
PUBLIC WORKER
1879 - 1926
HPI: 78.91
Rank: 17
Murasaki Shikibu
WRITER
973 - 1014
HPI: 78.63
Rank: 18
Shinzō Abe
POLITICIAN
1954 - 2022
HPI: 78.56
Rank: 19
Satoshi Nakamoto
COMPUTER SCIENTIST
1975 - Present
HPI: 78.04
Rank: 20
Hiroo Onoda
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1922 - 2014
HPI: 77.98
Rank: 21
Yoko Ono
ARTIST
1933 - Present
HPI: 77.77
Rank: 22
Isoroku Yamamoto
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1884 - 1943
HPI: 77.69
Rank: 23
Emperor Jimmu
POLITICIAN
711 BC - 585 BC
HPI: 77.58
Rank: 24
Among WRITERS In Japan
Among writers born in Japan, Murasaki Shikibu ranks 6. Before her are Matsuo Bashō (1644), Miyamoto Musashi (1584), Haruki Murakami (1949), Yukio Mishima (1925), and Yasunari Kawabata (1899). After her are Osamu Dazai (1909), Kenzaburō Ōe (1935), Ryūnosuke Akutagawa (1892), Natsume Sōseki (1867), Kazuo Ishiguro (1954), and Sei Shōnagon (966).
Matsuo Bashō
1644 - 1694
HPI: 85.14
Rank: 1
Miyamoto Musashi
1584 - 1645
HPI: 81.76
Rank: 2
Haruki Murakami
1949 - Present
HPI: 80.40
Rank: 3
Yukio Mishima
1925 - 1970
HPI: 79.92
Rank: 4
Yasunari Kawabata
1899 - 1972
HPI: 79.61
Rank: 5
Murasaki Shikibu
973 - 1014
HPI: 78.63
Rank: 6
Osamu Dazai
1909 - 1948
HPI: 76.80
Rank: 7
Kenzaburō Ōe
1935 - 2023
HPI: 76.20
Rank: 8
Ryūnosuke Akutagawa
1892 - 1927
HPI: 75.67
Rank: 9
Natsume Sōseki
1867 - 1916
HPI: 72.84
Rank: 10
Kazuo Ishiguro
1954 - Present
HPI: 71.66
Rank: 11
Sei Shōnagon
966 - 1025
HPI: 71.53
Rank: 12