- In this Japanese name, the family name is Murasaki.
Murasaki Shikibu (紫式部, c. 973 – c. 1020) was a novelist, poet, and servant of the Imperial Court during the Heian period of Japan. She is well known as the author of The Tale of Genji, written around year 1003.
Murasaki Shikibu is a nickname; her real name is unknown.