Chapter 32- Plum Branch - 梅枝

"Plum Branch" (Umegae) is Chapter 32 of The Tale of Genji, which centers on the elaborate preparations for the departure of Genji's daughter (the Akashi Princess) to join the household of the Crown Prince. Genji has the ladies of his household compete in blending incense for the occasion, and the chapter takes its name from the plum branch — the traditional first herald of spring — that figures in a poem exchanged during these preparations. Ebina's print captures the refined luxury of this moment in Genji's world, when everything is arranged as perfectly as a garden.