The eighth volume, covering the Nioumiya to Sokaku chapters, covers events from the age of 14 to the end of the year, when Kaoru is 24.
After Hikaru Genji's death, two noblemen, Kaoru and Nioumiya, enjoyed high esteem within the family. Kaoru began to question his own origins and turned to Buddhism. He began to visit the Eighth Prince in Uji, who lived like a secular saint. There, he met the Eighth Prince's two daughters, Okimi and Naka no Kimi, and Nioumiya also became interested in them. This marks the beginning of the "Uji Chapter," which depicts the world after Hikaru's death.
The essay at the end of the volume examines retroactive expression in The Tale of Genji. Because The Tale of Genji is a long tale, there are times when past events are not mentioned at all at the time, only to be recounted or explained later. This is recognized as one form of expression in The Tale of Genji, called "retroactive expression," and specific examples are introduced. The article then examines its effect within the story.
