《源氏物语》中《末摘花》之章与平安时期的宫廷生活（下篇）

The princess’ character is first revealed through her koto playing and her surroundings. The koto playing, which Genji secretly hears, is described as nothing special. As Maki mentions, the way the music is described would be important for Murasaki’s contemporary audience to understand how the character should be interpreted (Maki, “Lady Murasaki”). Her playing is not noteworthy, which would be a direct reflection of the character herself. However, Genji can tell that the instrument she is playing is a good quality one, and that adds to the alluring quality of the music. Therefore, the scene reflects an appreciation not only for quality of the important artifacts of art, but also the traditions of older generations. This was Prince Hitachi’s koto, and therefore, considering the prince’s skill in playing and rank, the koto itself would have to be of good quality to suit him. It is the reminiscence of the old tradition that keeps Genji’s interest here. Her upbringing was clearly from her father, which helps improve her image for a bit. He was a man of refinement and held a respected position, so being taught values by him is a positive. However, the excessive traditionalism without the combination of modern aesthetics ends up harming her image later. Traditionalism was therefore only a part of Heian culture.