"The Tale of Genji" is a classic Japanese novel
that was written around 10th Century.

It is a love story of the Shining Prince of Genji Clan in the life of Heian court. It is full of beautiful poetry, and the story line is very intriguing. The art of this era (typically in scroll format) depicts the life of the court. These scrolls show more classical form of Kimono called "Juni Hitoe" or "12-layered kimono."

The three illustrations below are the cover art of a paperback version of a modern language "Tale of Genji" by Seiko Tanabe (publisher: Shincho-sha). The artist is Yoshio Okada. Two show the side and the front view of the female 12-layered kimono, and one shows the back view of the male outfit.