When I hear foreigners debating whether The Tale of Genji is the world's oldest novel, I simply cannot remain silent.
This topic came up during a casual conversation with architectural historian Mr. Ryozo Yoneda.
To put it bluntly, while we cannot definitively prove it, “the Imperial Household Agency holds the original Japanese version of The Tale of Genji.”
Mr. Yoneda has already established that The Tale of Genji is 360 years older than the conventional theory suggests. However, the existence of the original manuscript would cause a global uproar, so the Imperial Household Agency officials involved absolutely cannot blow the whistle.
Manuscript copies are made for three reasons: ① to distribute widely, ② to prevent paper deterioration, and ③ when alterations are made.
In case ③, after alterations are completed, it's unlikely the original would be discarded under normal circumstances; it would probably be concealed.
Even modern people often can't bring themselves to throw away the original after making a copy.
The Heian period was a dark age, it seems, when Fujiwarano Teika served as chief and devoted himself to falsifying the vast literature of the Yamato and Kyushu dynasties (relocating the setting of stories from Kyushu to the Kinki region, adjusting dates, and fabricating historical figures). This was entirely different from the history taught in schools.
It is reasonable to assume the Imperial Household Agency also holds other literary works.
For Japan to revive, no policy changes are needed. If an Imperial Household Agency official blows the whistle and newspapers and TV report it extensively, people worldwide would bow down.
Then, the results would follow later.
I tried mimicking an athlete's comment.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Ryozo Yoneda （米田良三）
Architect, ancient history scholar. Born in Matsusaka City, Mie Prefecture, in 1943.Graduated from the Department of Architecture, Tokyo Institute of Technology in 1968. While continuing research that reexamines Japanese ancient history from an architectural perspective, he developed earthquake-resistant technology inspired by the fundamental structures of ancient architecture.