The story takes place in the mid-Heian period, when matriarchy was dominant, and describes Hikaru Genji, who, demoted in rank and given the family name of Genji despite his birth as a son of the Emperor, has many love affairs and achieves great glory (Part 1), and ultimately experiences the impermanence of worldly things caused by the collapse of his love life (Part 2).
物語は、母系制が色濃い平安朝中期を舞台にして、天皇の皇子として生まれながら臣籍降下して源氏姓となった光源氏が数多の恋愛遍歴をくりひろげながら人臣最高の栄誉を極め（第1部）、晩年にさしかかって愛情生活の破綻による無常を覚えるさままでを描く（第2部）。