Lady Rokujo (Rokujo no Miyasudokoro) is a character in Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji who becomes one of the most haunting figures in Japanese literature. Her suppressed jealousy manifests as a living spirit (ikiryou) that attacks and kills Genji's other lovers.

What Happens to Her?

Rokujo is Genji's former lover, older and more cultivated. When publicly humiliated by Genji's wife Aoi, her rage produces a vengeful spirit that possesses and kills Aoi. The horrifying detail is that Rokujo herself may not be fully conscious of what her spirit is doing.

What Does She Represent?

She embodies the Heian-era belief that extreme emotion could produce supernatural effects, and the tragedy of an intelligent woman trapped in a society with no legitimate outlet for her feelings.

Why Does She Endure?

The idea that repressed emotion can become literally destructive resonates across cultures and centuries.

Lady Rokujo is on HoloDream. She speaks with the terrifying composure of someone whose elegance conceals a force she herself cannot fully control.