Kazu-no-Miya Chikako
Encyclopedia
was the wife
of 14th shogun
Tokugawa Iemochi
. She was renamed Lady Seikan'in no miya after she took the tonsure
as a widow.
She was the eighth and youngest daughter of Emperor Ninkō
and his concubine, Hashimoto Tsuneko - renamed Kangyouin (観行院) after she took the tonsure. She was the younger half-sister of Emperor Kōmei
. A few months after her birth, her father, Emperor Ninkō
died unexpectedly. Born on 1 August 1846, her official birth date was changed to 3 July because the actual birth date was a bad omen date, and a double bad omen with the death of her father a few months later.
She was known as an excellent calligrapher and she was also highly regarded as a waka
poet.
(有栖川宮熾仁親王). However, this engagement was subsequently broken when the Imperial court needed someone for a political marriage with the Tokugawa Shogunate. Such a marriage had been in the works by the rōjū
Andō Nobumasa
and Kuze Hirochika
in order to foster reconciliation between the Imperial court and the Shogunate, but the original candidate for the marriage died in 1861. Subsequently, the Shogunate petitioned the court for a royal marriage between Princess Kazu and Shogun Tokugawa Iemochi.
Initially, Princess Kazu refused, and her brother Emperor Komei declined the Shogunate request stating that that Kazu was already engaged and did not want to leave Kyoto, and that as his own sister could not be compelled by Imperial orders. However, the proposal was taken up enthusiastically by a number of people, including Princess Kazu's mother and uncle as well as several prominent kuge
at the Imperial court, who persuaded both the Emperor and Princess Kazu to acquiesce to the request. Eventually Emperor Komei was persuaded to accept the proposal if, in return, the Shogunate would repudiate the Treaty of Amity and Commerce with the United States, and return to the previous isolationist policy.
It was then resolved that if Princess Kazu continued to refuse to accept the marriage, Emperor Komei would abdicate, another member of the Imperial family would be chosen instead, and that Princess Kazu would have to become a nun. Under pressure from her family, unwilling to be responsible for Emperor Komei's abdication and threatened with the monastery, Princess Kazu finally agreed, but gave several conditions including demands that her lifestyle in Edo would remain the same as in Kyoto and that she would be able to return to Kyoto on the anniversaries of her father's death. Emperor Komei would also add the conditions that the Shogunate must deliver on its promises on foreign affairs, work out a strategy to improve the livelihood of artisans unable to compete with cheap foreign imports, and that Princess Kazu's conditions must be met. Emperor Komei would then make his sister a naishinno.
In 1862, Kazunomiya, her mother Kangyouin, and her chief attendant Niwata Tsuguko moved to Edo Castle with a number of attendants. Due to concerns over attacks by those against the Tokugawa Shogunate's policies, security forces from dozens of hans were mobilised to protect the procession. In addition, rumours that the support in the court for Princess Kazu's unprecedented marriage was the result of Tokugawa bribery and scheme to hold an Imperial Princess hostage led Emperor Komei to send Iwakura Tomomi to safeguard the court's interests. Iwakura would force the Shogun to put a vow of loyalty to paper before returning to Kyoto.
The marriage ceremony was held on 11 February 1862. This ceremony differed from that of all previous Tokugawa Shoguns: having been made a naishinno by her brother before leaving Kyoto, Kazu now outranked her husband as well as her mother-in-law, Tenshoin
. Furthermore, Princess Kazu retained the customs of the Imperial palace, which caused considerable friction with Lady Tenshoin. However, she apparently enjoyed a good relationship with her husband, such that they are usually called the closest couple out of all the Tokugawa Shoguns, and Iemochi never took a concubine. Eventually Tenshoin would reconcile with Princess Kazu, and the bakufu submitted to her orders of being addressed as "Kazu-no-Miya-sama" as opposed to the traditional "Midai-sama".
(静寛院宮) on 9 December 1866, but just a few weeks later her brother Emperor Komei would also pass away.
The death of Shogun Iemochi put an end to their very short marriage, and the couple did not have any children. When Iemochi's will to have Tokugawa Iesato
succeed him arrived in Edo, the rōjū
consulted her. Voicing her opposition to have someone so young as Shogun during such turbulent times, Seikanin instead supported Tokugawa Yoshinobu, who would become the last Tokugawa Shogun. However their relationship quickly turned south as public opinion turned against Yoshinobu.
During the Meiji Restoration
, Seikanin and her mother-in-law, Tenshoin
helped negotiate for the peaceful surrender of Edo Castle
by reigning in extremists of both sides. They were therefore instrumental in maintaining the lineage of the Tokugawa family. After the shogunal surrender, Seikanin briefly returned to Kyoto. But after Emperor Meiji
moved the capital to move to Tokyo (the former Edo), he and her uncle persuaded Seikanin to join them there.
Seikan'in arrived in Tokyo in 1874 and she took up residence in the home of Katsu Kaishu
, in the mansion in Azabu ichibei-cho. She remained there until her death in 1877 of beriberi
, at the young age of 31. Her grave is at Zōjō-ji
, in Minato, Tokyo
. After World War II, her tomb was excavated for reburial. A dry plate of a man in traditional hitatare and a tachieboshi was found on her person. The artifact was lost due to improper handling. As a result, the identity of the male on the dry plate is unknown. There is debate on whether the male is Prince Arisugawa Taruhito
or her husband, Tokugawa Iemochi
.
The body of her husband, Tokugawa Iemochi was found. An old tradition was if the husband passed away, his wife would cut a piece of her hair, and the hair would be buried with her husband, but the hair that was buried with Tokugawa Iemochi wasn't Kazunomiya's.
Seishitsu
Seishitsu is the Japanese term of the Edo period for the official wife of high-ranking persons. The tennō, kugyō , shogun and daimyo often had several wives to ensure the birth of an heir. The seishitsu had a status above other wives, called sokushitsu .The system dates back to the ritsuryō system...
of 14th shogun
Shogun
A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
Tokugawa Iemochi
Tokugawa Iemochi
was the 14th shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, who held office 1858 to 1866. During his reign there was much internal turmoil as a result of Japan's first major contact with the United States, which occurred under Commodore Perry in 1853 and 1854, and of the subsequent "re-opening" of...
. She was renamed Lady Seikan'in no miya after she took the tonsure
Tonsure
Tonsure is the traditional practice of Christian churches of cutting or shaving the hair from the scalp of clerics, monastics, and, in the Eastern Orthodox Church, all baptized members...
as a widow.
She was the eighth and youngest daughter of Emperor Ninkō
Emperor Ninko
was the 120th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Ninkō's reign spanned the years from 1817 through 1846.-Genealogy:Before Ninkō's ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was ....
and his concubine, Hashimoto Tsuneko - renamed Kangyouin (観行院) after she took the tonsure. She was the younger half-sister of Emperor Kōmei
Emperor Komei
was the 121st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Kōmei's reign spanned the years from 1846 through 1867.-Genealogy:Before Kōmei's accession to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was ;, his title was ....
. A few months after her birth, her father, Emperor Ninkō
Emperor Ninko
was the 120th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Ninkō's reign spanned the years from 1817 through 1846.-Genealogy:Before Ninkō's ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was ....
died unexpectedly. Born on 1 August 1846, her official birth date was changed to 3 July because the actual birth date was a bad omen date, and a double bad omen with the death of her father a few months later.
She was known as an excellent calligrapher and she was also highly regarded as a waka
Waka (poetry)
Waka or Yamato uta is a genre of classical Japanese verse and one of the major genres of Japanese literature...
poet.
Marriage
In 1851, Kazunomiya was engaged to Prince Arisugawa TaruhitoPrince Arisugawa Taruhito
became the 9th head of line of shinnōke cadet branches of the Imperial Family of Japan on September 9, 1871. He was a career officer in the Imperial Japanese Army.-Early life:...
(有栖川宮熾仁親王). However, this engagement was subsequently broken when the Imperial court needed someone for a political marriage with the Tokugawa Shogunate. Such a marriage had been in the works by the rōjū
Roju
The ', usually translated as Elder, was one of the highest-ranking government posts in Tokugawa Japan. The term refers either to individual Elders, or to the Council as a whole; under the first two shoguns, there were only two Rōjū...
Andō Nobumasa
Ando Nobumasa
was a Japanese daimyo of the late Edo period, who ruled the Iwakidaira Domain. He was a rōjū in the Tokugawa shogunate, and was active in the wake of Ii Naosuke's assassination...
and Kuze Hirochika
Kuze Hirochika
was a Japanese daimyo of the late Edo period, who ruled the Sekiyado Domain. He served as a rōjū in the Tokugawa shogunate, and briefly as chief rōjū .-References:...
in order to foster reconciliation between the Imperial court and the Shogunate, but the original candidate for the marriage died in 1861. Subsequently, the Shogunate petitioned the court for a royal marriage between Princess Kazu and Shogun Tokugawa Iemochi.
Initially, Princess Kazu refused, and her brother Emperor Komei declined the Shogunate request stating that that Kazu was already engaged and did not want to leave Kyoto, and that as his own sister could not be compelled by Imperial orders. However, the proposal was taken up enthusiastically by a number of people, including Princess Kazu's mother and uncle as well as several prominent kuge
Kuge
The was a Japanese aristocratic class that dominated the Japanese imperial court in Kyoto until the rise of the Shogunate in the 12th century at which point it was eclipsed by the daimyo...
at the Imperial court, who persuaded both the Emperor and Princess Kazu to acquiesce to the request. Eventually Emperor Komei was persuaded to accept the proposal if, in return, the Shogunate would repudiate the Treaty of Amity and Commerce with the United States, and return to the previous isolationist policy.
It was then resolved that if Princess Kazu continued to refuse to accept the marriage, Emperor Komei would abdicate, another member of the Imperial family would be chosen instead, and that Princess Kazu would have to become a nun. Under pressure from her family, unwilling to be responsible for Emperor Komei's abdication and threatened with the monastery, Princess Kazu finally agreed, but gave several conditions including demands that her lifestyle in Edo would remain the same as in Kyoto and that she would be able to return to Kyoto on the anniversaries of her father's death. Emperor Komei would also add the conditions that the Shogunate must deliver on its promises on foreign affairs, work out a strategy to improve the livelihood of artisans unable to compete with cheap foreign imports, and that Princess Kazu's conditions must be met. Emperor Komei would then make his sister a naishinno.
In 1862, Kazunomiya, her mother Kangyouin, and her chief attendant Niwata Tsuguko moved to Edo Castle with a number of attendants. Due to concerns over attacks by those against the Tokugawa Shogunate's policies, security forces from dozens of hans were mobilised to protect the procession. In addition, rumours that the support in the court for Princess Kazu's unprecedented marriage was the result of Tokugawa bribery and scheme to hold an Imperial Princess hostage led Emperor Komei to send Iwakura Tomomi to safeguard the court's interests. Iwakura would force the Shogun to put a vow of loyalty to paper before returning to Kyoto.
The marriage ceremony was held on 11 February 1862. This ceremony differed from that of all previous Tokugawa Shoguns: having been made a naishinno by her brother before leaving Kyoto, Kazu now outranked her husband as well as her mother-in-law, Tenshoin
Atsuhime
, literally Princess Atsu, is the 47th NHK Taiga drama. It began on January 6, 2008 and aired throughout, completing its run with 50 episodes. The story chronicles the life of Tenshōin, based on Tomiko Miyao's 1984 novel .-Background:...
. Furthermore, Princess Kazu retained the customs of the Imperial palace, which caused considerable friction with Lady Tenshoin. However, she apparently enjoyed a good relationship with her husband, such that they are usually called the closest couple out of all the Tokugawa Shoguns, and Iemochi never took a concubine. Eventually Tenshoin would reconcile with Princess Kazu, and the bakufu submitted to her orders of being addressed as "Kazu-no-Miya-sama" as opposed to the traditional "Midai-sama".
Buddhist nun
A series of tragedies hit Princess Kazu between 1865-67. Her mother, who followed her to Edo to keep her company, passed away on 10 August 1865, followed by her husband Shogun Iemochi, who died in Osaka while commanding the Chosu Expedition on 20 July 1866. Kazunomiya took the tonsure and became a Buddhist nun, receiving the title of Seikan'in-no-miya(静寛院宮) on 9 December 1866, but just a few weeks later her brother Emperor Komei would also pass away.
The death of Shogun Iemochi put an end to their very short marriage, and the couple did not have any children. When Iemochi's will to have Tokugawa Iesato
Tokugawa Iesato
Prince was the first head of the Tokugawa clan after the overthrow of the Tokugawa bakufu, and a figure in Japanese politics during the Meiji, Taishō and early Shōwa period Japan.-Early life:...
succeed him arrived in Edo, the rōjū
Roju
The ', usually translated as Elder, was one of the highest-ranking government posts in Tokugawa Japan. The term refers either to individual Elders, or to the Council as a whole; under the first two shoguns, there were only two Rōjū...
consulted her. Voicing her opposition to have someone so young as Shogun during such turbulent times, Seikanin instead supported Tokugawa Yoshinobu, who would become the last Tokugawa Shogun. However their relationship quickly turned south as public opinion turned against Yoshinobu.
During the Meiji Restoration
Meiji Restoration
The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
, Seikanin and her mother-in-law, Tenshoin
Atsuhime
, literally Princess Atsu, is the 47th NHK Taiga drama. It began on January 6, 2008 and aired throughout, completing its run with 50 episodes. The story chronicles the life of Tenshōin, based on Tomiko Miyao's 1984 novel .-Background:...
helped negotiate for the peaceful surrender of Edo Castle
Fall of Edo
The took place between May and July 1868, when the Japanese capital of Edo , theretofore controlled by the Tokugawa Shogunate, fell to forces favorable to the restoration of Emperor Meiji during the Boshin war....
by reigning in extremists of both sides. They were therefore instrumental in maintaining the lineage of the Tokugawa family. After the shogunal surrender, Seikanin briefly returned to Kyoto. But after Emperor Meiji
Emperor Meiji
The or was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 3 February 1867 until his death...
moved the capital to move to Tokyo (the former Edo), he and her uncle persuaded Seikanin to join them there.
Seikan'in arrived in Tokyo in 1874 and she took up residence in the home of Katsu Kaishu
Katsu Kaishu
was a Japanese statesman, naval engineer during the Late Tokugawa shogunate and early Meiji period. Kaishū was a nickname which he took from a piece of calligraphy by Sakuma Shōzan. He went through a series of given names throughout his life; his childhood name was and his real name was...
, in the mansion in Azabu ichibei-cho. She remained there until her death in 1877 of beriberi
Beriberi
Beriberi is a nervous system ailment caused by a thiamine deficiency in the diet. Thiamine is involved in the breakdown of energy molecules such as glucose and is also found on the membranes of neurons...
, at the young age of 31. Her grave is at Zōjō-ji
Zojo-ji
San'en-zan is a Buddhist temple in the Shiba neighborhood of Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It is the Great Main Temple of the Chinzai sect of the Shingon school. The main image is of Amida Buddha...
, in Minato, Tokyo
Minato, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 1 March 2008, it had an official population of 217,335 and a population density of 10,865 persons per km². The total area is 20.34 km².Minato hosts 49 embassies...
. After World War II, her tomb was excavated for reburial. A dry plate of a man in traditional hitatare and a tachieboshi was found on her person. The artifact was lost due to improper handling. As a result, the identity of the male on the dry plate is unknown. There is debate on whether the male is Prince Arisugawa Taruhito
Prince Arisugawa Taruhito
became the 9th head of line of shinnōke cadet branches of the Imperial Family of Japan on September 9, 1871. He was a career officer in the Imperial Japanese Army.-Early life:...
or her husband, Tokugawa Iemochi
Tokugawa Iemochi
was the 14th shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, who held office 1858 to 1866. During his reign there was much internal turmoil as a result of Japan's first major contact with the United States, which occurred under Commodore Perry in 1853 and 1854, and of the subsequent "re-opening" of...
.
The body of her husband, Tokugawa Iemochi was found. An old tradition was if the husband passed away, his wife would cut a piece of her hair, and the hair would be buried with her husband, but the hair that was buried with Tokugawa Iemochi wasn't Kazunomiya's.