本論考は若菜上卷以後の物語における光源氏の老いが皮相的なものから實體を獲得してゆくことを論じたものである。若菜上卷以後の光源氏の老いは衰退と成長の兩義性を帶びる。衰退と成長は登場人物の主觀的な視点による區分と大まかに言えるが、女三の宮の壻選びにおいては光源氏自身も老いを兩義的に捉えている。一方、若菜上卷における女三の宮の壻選びに見る光源氏の內面は薄雲卷や玉鬘十帖に連なるものがある。薄雲卷や玉鬘十帖と同じく、若菜上卷の光源氏は自らの老いを自覺しながら好色をも持っている。このような若菜上卷において光源氏の老いは、柏木と女三の宮の密通事件を知ったのちのそれに比べると皮相的なものである。
In this paper, I looked at how the aging process is handled in The Tale of Gen-ji after the "Wakana, Part Ⅰ". Hikaru Gen-ji who is 40-year-old character in "Wakana, Part Ⅰ", has many possibilities on his aging. The character's aging could be growth and decline. On the other hand, the inner side of the character is still drawn to be unchanged from the past, as he entered the early stage at the age of 40. The internal thinking of Hikaru Gen-ji is in stark contrast to the inside of the character in "Kashiwagi". The aging of Hikaru Gen-ji is a serious issue following the adultery which is committed by a young character, which's name is Kashiwagi, which suggests that Hikaru Gen-ji's perception of aging was superficial. In other words, it represents a change of the perception of time which has occurred inside of Hikaru Gen-ji.