Saigō-no-Tsubone
Encyclopedia
Saigō-no-Tsubone (1552 – 1 July 1589), or "Lady Saigo", also known as Oai, was an important and influential figure during the late Age of Warring States
in Japan
. She was the first consort and trusted confidant of Tokugawa Ieyasu
and mother of the second shogun
of the Edo Period
, Tokugawa Hidetada
.
During Ieyasu's rise to power in the 1570s, he sought Lady Saigo's counsel and valued her advice. Her influence on his philosophies, his choice of allies, and future policies indirectly influenced the course of events leading to the Tokugawa Shogunate
and the beginning of the Edo Period. Although there is less known of her than other figures of the era, and sources are conflicted over some details of her early life, she is nonetheless regarded as the "power behind the throne" and her life has been called a "Cinderella
story" in feudal Japan. Her contributions were considered so significant that she was posthumously inducted to the Senior First Rank of the Imperial Court, the highest honor that could be conferred by the Emperor of Japan
.
Once she was in a respected and secure position, Lady Saigo used her influence and wealth for charitable purposes. A devout Buddhist, she donated money to temples in Suruga province
, where she resided as the consort of Ieyasu, first in Hamamatsu Castle
and later in Sunpu Castle
. It is believed that Lady Saigo was terribly near-sighted, and because of this affliction, she established a charitable organization that assisted visually impaired women with no other means of support. Lady Saigo died at a fairly young age, under somewhat mysterious circumstances. Although murder was suspected, no culprit was identified.
Lady Saigo bore a total of four children during her life: she had a son and a daughter (Saigo Katsutada and Tokuhime) while married, and she later bore two sons as the consort of Tokugawa Ieyasu: Tokugawa Hidetada and Matsudaira Tadayoshi. Hidetada would become the second shogun of the new Tokugawa bakufu
. Among the descendants of Lady Saigo was the Empress Meishō
(1624–1696), one of very few women to accede the Chrysanthemum Throne
as empress regnant.
, and was one of several titulary suffix
es conferred on high ranking women (the others include -kata and -dono). The bestowal of a title depended on individual position and circumstances and the relationship to a high-ranking samurai (whether she was a legitimate wife or a concubine). Although the exact details of position and nuance produce exacting interpretations of the three terms, any of them can be translated to the English title "Lady". The term Saigō-no-Tsubone literally means "Lady of the Saigo" and, in English, can thus be shortened to "Lady Saigo".
Though Lady Saigo's given name
does not appear in surviving documents from the time, there is good evidence it was Masako (昌子), but this name is very rarely used. Her most commonly used name was Oai (お愛 or 於愛, meaning "love") and most sources agree this was a nickname she gained as a child. Intimate friends and family would call her Oai throughout her life, and it is the name most often used in modern popular cultural references. Following death, she was bestowed with a Buddhist posthumous name
, and an abbreviation of that name, Houdai-in (宝台院), is sometimes used out of pious respect.
of Kyushu
that had migrated northward to Mikawa Province
in the 15th century. In 1524, following defeat at Yamanaka Castle, the third clan lord, Saigo Nobusada, submitted to the Matsudaira clan
. Following the untimely death of Matsudaira Kiyoyasu
(1511–1536) and ineffectual leadership and early death of Matsudaira Hirotada
(1526–1549), the leaderless clan finally submitted to Imagawa Yoshimoto
(1519–1560) of Suruga Province
, east of Mikawa. Following the Battle of Okehazama
(1560), the Saigo clan, under Saigo Masakatsu, attempted to re-assert its independence while yielding some concessions to the Imagawa. In 1562 the Imagawa launched punitive invasions of the area and attacked the two main Saigo castles. Masakatsu was killed in the battle of Gohonmatsu Castle; his eldest son Motomasa was killed during the battle for Wachigaya Castle. Clan leadership was passed to Masakatsu's son, Saigo Kiyokazu (1533–1594), who pledged his loyalty to Tokugawa Ieyasu in their mutual struggle against the Imagawa. In 1569, the power of the Imagawa ended with the Siege of Kakegawa Castle
.
The name of Lady Saigo's mother, along with her birth and death dates, are not recorded in any existing documents, though it is known that she was the elder sister of Saigo Kiyokazu. Lady Saigo's father was Tozuka Tadaharu of Tōtōmi Province
, under direct control of the Imagawa clan. The marriage between Tadaharu and his wife was very likely arranged by the Imagawa clan.
, then part of Mikawa province
, and very likely given the name of Masako or, if she were allowed the use of her father's surname, Tozuka Masako. Japanese marriages are not usually matrilocal, but Tadaharu may have been assigned to Nishikawa Castle as an agent of the Imagawa. Masako spent her childhood with her two siblings in the rustic environs of the area, and at some point gained the nickname Oai. In 1554, her father Tadaharu died in the Battle of Enshu-Omori, between the Imagawa and the Hōjō clan
s. Two years later her mother married Hattori Masanao; the union would produce four children.
Some sources state that upon reaching adulthood Oai married, but was widowed soon after. Other sources do not mention the marriage, or suggest that there never was an earlier, "first" marriage. It is known with certainty that in 1567, Oai married her cousin, Saigo Yoshikatsu, son of Motomasa, who had two children by his late wife. Oai bore two children by Yoshikatsu: their son, Saigo Katsutada, was born about 1570; they also had a daughter, possibly named Tokuhime.
In 1571, Saigo Yoshikatsu was killed at the Battle of Takehiro, against the invading forces of the Takeda clan led by Akiyama Nobutomo
. Soon after Yoshikatsu's death, Oai was formally adopted by her uncle, Saigo Kiyokazu, then the head of the Saigo clan, though she chose to live with her mother in the house of her stepfather.
, far from the residence of his wife in Okazaki
. The marriage between Ieyasu and Lady Tsukiyama had been arranged by her uncle, Imagawa Yoshimoto, ostensibly to help cement ties between the two clans, though Ieyasu found it difficult to live with his wife's jealousy, tempestuous moods, and eccentric habits.
Starting around the time of the Battle of Mikatagahara
(1573), perhaps in its aftermath, Ieyasu began to confide in Oai and sought her counsel on various matters. It may have been during this period that the two commenced an amorous relationship. Oai is credited with advising Ieyasu as the Battle of Nagashino
(1575) approached, a major turning point in Ieyasu's career, and in the history of Japan. It is also thought that Ieyasu continued to seek her advice concerning other battles and alliances, even as late as the Komaki-Nagakute Campaign
(1584).
In the spring of 1578, Oai moved to Hamamatsu Castle
, where she took over management of the kitchen, and became very popular with the unit of warriors from her native province who not only admired her beauty, but regarded her as a gentle and virtuous example of the women of Mikawa. While her manners and gentility were exemplary, she could, when the occasion warranted, be outspoken or sarcastic in speech, the probable result of growing up around rustic warriors in a remote castle outpost. With her move to the court of Ieyasu, Oai entered a bitter arena where prospective concubines schemed and competed with each other for a chance to bear Ieyasu's child. Bearing the child of a powerful samurai, especially a son, was one way an ambitious young woman of the period could elevate her status, ensure a comfortable life, and guarantee the prosperity of her family. These women usually relied on their physical attributes and sexual prowess to keep their lord's attention, and some resorted to the use of aphrodisiacs. Unlike these courtesans, Oai already had the attention of Ieyasu, which would have undermined the ambitions of some and very likely made her a target of resentment, hostility, and the intrigues that were common in Japanese harems.
While Ieyasu's marriage was arranged for political reasons, and many of his later concubines were chosen in the same spirit, it is thought that he chose his relationship with Lady Saigo. Despite the image of Ieyasu as a calculating and stoic warlord, it should be pointed out that there was no new political advantage to the match, as the Saigo were already loyal vassals, and thus texts about Lady Saigo refer to her as the "most beloved" of Ieyasu's women. Moreover, Ieyasu valued her for her intelligence and sound advice and it is believed that he enjoyed her company, her calm demeanor, and their common background in Mikawa province. On May 2, 1579, Oai gave birth to Ieyasu's third son, who would become known as Tokugawa Hidetada
. The news was probably a shock to all who had an interest in Ieyasu, but with the event, Oai's position became more secure and she was accepted as the first consort of Ieyasu. Based on this relationship, and out of respect for her gentle manner and devotion to Ieyasu, she became known by the respectful title of Saigō-no-Tsubone, or Lady Saigo.
In the same year, Oda Nobunaga was informed that Lady Tsukiyama, Ieyasu's wife, had conspired against him with the Takeda clan. Although evidence was weak, Ieyasu re-assured his ally by having his wife executed by the shore of Lake Sanaru in Hamamatsu. Tokugawa Nobuyasu
, Ieyasu's first son by Lady Tsukiyama, was held in confinement until Ieyasu ordered him to commit seppuku
. With their deaths, Lady Saigo's position at court was unassailable. While there has never been a suggestion that Lady Saigo had anything to do with the deaths of Lady Tsukiyama or her son, it was a disconcerting coincidence that the executions occurred within months of the birth of Hidetada. With the death of Nobuyasu, Hidetada became Ieyasu's heir apparent.
Ieyasu's fourth son, the second by Lady Saigo, was born on October 18, 1580. He was later adopted into a branch family, and was known as Matsudaira Tadayoshi. In the same year, Lady Saigo had a temple founded in her mother's memory, indicating she had passed away by that point. In 1586, Lady Saigo was at the side of Ieyasu when he entered the newly re-constructed Sunpu Castle
in triumph. This was a highly symbolic moment of his victories over his enemies and the subjugation of the region, but it was also a visible and symbolic gesture to Lady Saigo, a way that Ieyasu could credit her for her assistance, and publicly demonstrate the esteem in which he regarded her.
called Ryusen-ji. She became devoted to the teachings of the Pure Land sect
and was known for her piety and charity. Because she suffered a high degree of myopia
, she often donated money, clothing, food, and other necessities to blind women and organizations that assisted them. She eventually founded a co-operative school with living quarters near Ryusen-ji that assisted indigent blind women women by teaching them how to play the shamisen
(traditional stringed instrument) as a vocation, and helped them to find employment. On her deathbed, Lady Saigo wrote a letter pleading for the continued maintenance of the organization.
By the time of her death, Lady Saigo was treated as Ieyasu's wife in deed if not in word. The remains of Lady Saigo were interred at Ryusen-ji. At her death, a number of blind women reportedly gathered in front of the temple and prayed.
. After their victory at the Siege of Odawara Castle
in 1590, Ieyasu agreed to relinquish all of his domains to Hideyoshi in exchange for the Kantō region
to the east. Hideyoshi died in 1598 and by 1603, Ieyasu had recovered Sunpu Castle, completed his unification of Japan, and was named shogun by the Emperor. The following year, he had Ryusen-ji moved from Yuunoki to Kounaya village near Sunpu Castle and attended Buddhist funeral rites conducted in honor of the late Lady Saigo on the anniversary of her death. To mark the occasion, Ieyasu presented the temple priests with the katana
he inherited from his father, and a portrait of himself as he looked at the time. These items can still be viewed at the temple in Shizuoka city
.
In 1628, Tokugawa Hidetada, by then the retired second shogun, attended ceremonies conducted in honor of his late mother on the anniversary of her death. These ceremonies were meant to help her spirit achieve buddha status. He also saw to it that she was made the honored tutelary patron of the temple by having her posthumous name changed and the first three characters appended to the name of the temple. Today, the temple Ryusen-ji is known mainly by that appellation, Houdai-in (宝台院). At the same time, the Emperor Go-Mizunoo
conferred the name Minamoto Masako (源晶子) upon Lady Saigo, in effect posthumously adopting her into the Minamoto clan
, the extended family of the Imperial line. The new name was then inducted into the Lower First Rank of the Imperial Court. Her status was later upgraded to Senior First Rank, the highest and most prominent award, then or now, bestowed by the Emperor to few subjects outside the Imeprial family who had significantly and positively affected the history of Japan.
In 1938, the mausoleum of Lady Saigo at Houdai-in, which consisted of a five-tiered stupa
over her grave and a sanctuary for the veneration of her spirit, was designated an Important Cultural Property
. The designation was rescinded after the entire temple complex was destroyed in the Great Shizuoka Fire on January 15, 1940. The stupa remains, though evidence of the damage suffered when it toppled over is plainly visible. Many of the treasures of the temple, including a portrait of Lady Saigo and the sword and portrait bequeathed by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1604, were saved by the priests who flung the objects out of windows and doorways before fleeing the burning temple. The temple was re-built using steel-reinforced concrete in 1970. Historical artifacts saved from the fire of 1940 are on display at the new Houdai-in temple in Shizuoka city.
shogun, Tokugawa Hidetada, and ended with the seventh shogun, Tokugawa Ietsugu
(1709–1716). Aside from this, Lady Saigo also became connected to the Imperial line. In 1620, Hidetada's daughter, Tokugawa Masako
(1607–1678), married Emperor Go-Mizunoo and entered the Imperial palace. As empress consort, Masako would have a positive impact on the maintenance of the Imperial Court, significantly influenced the next three monarchs (all children of Go-Mizunoo), and was known as a patron of the arts. The daughter of Masako, and thus great-granddaughter of Lady Saigo, was Princess Okiko (1624–1696), who acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne
in 1629 as Empress Meishō
. She reigned for fifteen years as the 109th monarch of Japan, the seventh of only eight empresses regnant in the history of Japan, until she abdicated in 1643.
Sengoku period
The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. She was the first consort and trusted confidant of Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
and mother of the second 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...
of the Edo Period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
, Tokugawa Hidetada
Tokugawa Hidetada
was the second shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty, who ruled from 1605 until his abdication in 1623. He was the third son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate.-Early life :...
.
During Ieyasu's rise to power in the 1570s, he sought Lady Saigo's counsel and valued her advice. Her influence on his philosophies, his choice of allies, and future policies indirectly influenced the course of events leading to the Tokugawa Shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
and the beginning of the Edo Period. Although there is less known of her than other figures of the era, and sources are conflicted over some details of her early life, she is nonetheless regarded as the "power behind the throne" and her life has been called a "Cinderella
Cinderella
"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
story" in feudal Japan. Her contributions were considered so significant that she was posthumously inducted to the Senior First Rank of the Imperial Court, the highest honor that could be conferred by the Emperor of Japan
Emperor of Japan
The Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...
.
Once she was in a respected and secure position, Lady Saigo used her influence and wealth for charitable purposes. A devout Buddhist, she donated money to temples in Suruga province
Suruga Province
was an old province in the area that is today the central part of Shizuoka prefecture. It was sometimes called . Suruga bordered on Izu, Kai, Sagami, Shinano, and Tōtōmi provinces; and had access to the Pacific Ocean through Suruga Bay.-History:...
, where she resided as the consort of Ieyasu, first in Hamamatsu Castle
Hamamatsu Castle
is a reconstructed hirayama-style Japanese castle. It was the seat of various fudai daimyō who ruled over Hamamatsu Domain, Tōtōmi Province, in what is now central Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan...
and later in Sunpu Castle
Sunpu Castle
was a Japanese castle in Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture in Japan. The sobriquet of this feudal fortress was the "Castle of the Floating Isle." It was also referred to as or .-History:...
. It is believed that Lady Saigo was terribly near-sighted, and because of this affliction, she established a charitable organization that assisted visually impaired women with no other means of support. Lady Saigo died at a fairly young age, under somewhat mysterious circumstances. Although murder was suspected, no culprit was identified.
Lady Saigo bore a total of four children during her life: she had a son and a daughter (Saigo Katsutada and Tokuhime) while married, and she later bore two sons as the consort of Tokugawa Ieyasu: Tokugawa Hidetada and Matsudaira Tadayoshi. Hidetada would become the second shogun of the new Tokugawa bakufu
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
. Among the descendants of Lady Saigo was the Empress Meishō
Empress Meisho
was the 109th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Meishō's reign spanned the years from 1629 to 1643.In the history of Japan, Meishō was the seventh of eight women to become empress regnant. The six female monarchs who reigned before Meishō-tennō were Suiko, ...
(1624–1696), one of very few women to accede the Chrysanthemum Throne
Chrysanthemum Throne
The is the English term used to identify the throne of the Emperor of Japan. The term can refer to very specific seating, such as the takamikura throne in the Shishin-den at Kyoto Imperial Palace....
as empress regnant.
Name
The term "Saigo-no-Tsubone", used in most historical texts, is actually an official title rather than a name. As an adult she was adopted into the Saigo clan and as the first consort of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the title "tsubone" was appended to the surname. The title is related to feudal nobilityNobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
, and was one of several titulary suffix
Suffix
In linguistics, a suffix is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word. Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns or adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs...
es conferred on high ranking women (the others include -kata and -dono). The bestowal of a title depended on individual position and circumstances and the relationship to a high-ranking samurai (whether she was a legitimate wife or a concubine). Although the exact details of position and nuance produce exacting interpretations of the three terms, any of them can be translated to the English title "Lady". The term Saigō-no-Tsubone literally means "Lady of the Saigo" and, in English, can thus be shortened to "Lady Saigo".
Though Lady Saigo's given name
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
does not appear in surviving documents from the time, there is good evidence it was Masako (昌子), but this name is very rarely used. Her most commonly used name was Oai (お愛 or 於愛, meaning "love") and most sources agree this was a nickname she gained as a child. Intimate friends and family would call her Oai throughout her life, and it is the name most often used in modern popular cultural references. Following death, she was bestowed with a Buddhist posthumous name
Posthumous name
A posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty, nobles, and sometimes others, in East Asia after the person's death, and is used almost exclusively instead of one's personal name or other official titles during his life...
, and an abbreviation of that name, Houdai-in (宝台院), is sometimes used out of pious respect.
Background
The Saigo family was one branch of the distinguished Kikuchi clanKikuchi clan
The of Higo Province was a powerful daimyo family of Higo, Kyūshū. The Kikuchi lineage was renowned for its valiant service in defense of the emperor and against foreign invaders. The clan first distinguished itself during the Jürchen invasion of northern Kyūshū in 1019...
of Kyushu
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
that had migrated northward to Mikawa Province
Mikawa Province
is an old province in the area that today forms the eastern half of Aichi Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Mikawa bordered on Owari, Mino, Shinano, and Tōtōmi Provinces....
in the 15th century. In 1524, following defeat at Yamanaka Castle, the third clan lord, Saigo Nobusada, submitted to the Matsudaira clan
Matsudaira clan
The was a Japanese samurai clan that claimed descent from the Minamoto clan. It first originated in and took its name from Matsudaira village, in Mikawa Province . Over the course of its history, the clan produced many branches, most of which also centered around Mikawa Province...
. Following the untimely death of Matsudaira Kiyoyasu
Matsudaira Kiyoyasu
was the 7th lord over the Matsudaira clan during the Sengoku period of Japan. Kiyoyasu was the grandfather of the exceedingly famous unifier of Japan, Tokugawa Ieyasu. Kiyoyasu soon gained control of the whole of the northern region of Mikawa province after the Saigo clan had surrendered after...
(1511–1536) and ineffectual leadership and early death of Matsudaira Hirotada
Matsudaira Hirotada
was the lord of Okazaki Castle in Mikawa province, Japan during the Sengoku Period of the 16th century. He is best known for being the father of Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate....
(1526–1549), the leaderless clan finally submitted to Imagawa Yoshimoto
Imagawa Yoshimoto
was one of the leading daimyo in the Sengoku period Japan. Based in Suruga Province, he was one of the three daimyo that dominated the Tōkaidō region. He was one of the dominant daimyo in Japan for a time, until his death in 1560....
(1519–1560) of Suruga Province
Suruga Province
was an old province in the area that is today the central part of Shizuoka prefecture. It was sometimes called . Suruga bordered on Izu, Kai, Sagami, Shinano, and Tōtōmi provinces; and had access to the Pacific Ocean through Suruga Bay.-History:...
, east of Mikawa. Following the Battle of Okehazama
Battle of Okehazama
The took place in June 1560. In this battle, Oda Nobunaga defeated Imagawa Yoshimoto and established himself as one of the front-running warlords in the Sengoku period.-Background:...
(1560), the Saigo clan, under Saigo Masakatsu, attempted to re-assert its independence while yielding some concessions to the Imagawa. In 1562 the Imagawa launched punitive invasions of the area and attacked the two main Saigo castles. Masakatsu was killed in the battle of Gohonmatsu Castle; his eldest son Motomasa was killed during the battle for Wachigaya Castle. Clan leadership was passed to Masakatsu's son, Saigo Kiyokazu (1533–1594), who pledged his loyalty to Tokugawa Ieyasu in their mutual struggle against the Imagawa. In 1569, the power of the Imagawa ended with the Siege of Kakegawa Castle
Siege of Kakegawa
The 1569 siege of Kakegawa was one of many battles fought by the Imagawa clan against various invaders during Japan's Sengoku period.Imagawa Ujizane, the son of the late Imagawa Yoshimoto, held Kakegawa castle at the time that it was besieged by Tokugawa Ieyasu...
.
The name of Lady Saigo's mother, along with her birth and death dates, are not recorded in any existing documents, though it is known that she was the elder sister of Saigo Kiyokazu. Lady Saigo's father was Tozuka Tadaharu of Tōtōmi Province
Totomi Province
was a province of Japan in the area of Japan that is today western Shizuoka Prefecture. Tōtōmi bordered on Mikawa, Suruga and Shinano Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was .-History:...
, under direct control of the Imagawa clan. The marriage between Tadaharu and his wife was very likely arranged by the Imagawa clan.
Early life
Lady Saigo was born in 1552 at Nishikawa CastleNishikawa Castle
' was a branch castle of the Saigo Clan in the Mikawa region during the Age of Warring States in Japan. The name Nishikawa means "west river" in Japanese....
, then part of Mikawa province
Mikawa Province
is an old province in the area that today forms the eastern half of Aichi Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Mikawa bordered on Owari, Mino, Shinano, and Tōtōmi Provinces....
, and very likely given the name of Masako or, if she were allowed the use of her father's surname, Tozuka Masako. Japanese marriages are not usually matrilocal, but Tadaharu may have been assigned to Nishikawa Castle as an agent of the Imagawa. Masako spent her childhood with her two siblings in the rustic environs of the area, and at some point gained the nickname Oai. In 1554, her father Tadaharu died in the Battle of Enshu-Omori, between the Imagawa and the Hōjō clan
Late Hojo clan
The ' was one of the most powerful warrior clans in Japan in the Sengoku period and held domains primarily in the Kantō region.The clan is traditionally reckoned to be started by Ise Shinkurō, who came from a branch of the prestigious Ise clan, a family in the direct employment of the Ashikaga...
s. Two years later her mother married Hattori Masanao; the union would produce four children.
Some sources state that upon reaching adulthood Oai married, but was widowed soon after. Other sources do not mention the marriage, or suggest that there never was an earlier, "first" marriage. It is known with certainty that in 1567, Oai married her cousin, Saigo Yoshikatsu, son of Motomasa, who had two children by his late wife. Oai bore two children by Yoshikatsu: their son, Saigo Katsutada, was born about 1570; they also had a daughter, possibly named Tokuhime.
In 1571, Saigo Yoshikatsu was killed at the Battle of Takehiro, against the invading forces of the Takeda clan led by Akiyama Nobutomo
Akiyama Nobutomo
was a samurai during the Age of Warring States in Japan. He was a retainer in the service of the Takeda family who served as one of the Twenty-Four Generals of Takeda Shingen. Nobutomo also served under Shingen's son, Takeda Katsuyori.-Early career:...
. Soon after Yoshikatsu's death, Oai was formally adopted by her uncle, Saigo Kiyokazu, then the head of the Saigo clan, though she chose to live with her mother in the house of her stepfather.
Relationship with Tokugawa Ieyasu
Oai first met Tokugawa Ieyasu at about the age of 17 or 18, when he happened to visit the Saigo family and Oai served him tea. It is believed she caught his eye on that occasion, but as she was still married, nothing came of it at the time. Later, during the 1570s, it is believed that friendship and genuine affection developed between the two. This view contradicts a common impression which maintains that Ieyasu was a ruthless leader who treated all the women in his life, and all of his offspring, as commodities to be used as needed to serve the clan or his own ambitions; however, it is also known that he valued personal merit over bloodlines. During this time, Ieyasu had a house built in eastern MikawaMikawa Province
is an old province in the area that today forms the eastern half of Aichi Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Mikawa bordered on Owari, Mino, Shinano, and Tōtōmi Provinces....
, far from the residence of his wife in Okazaki
Okazaki, Aichi
is a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. As of August 2011, the city had an estimated population of 373,339 and a population density of 964 persons per km². The total area was 387.24 km².-Geography:...
. The marriage between Ieyasu and Lady Tsukiyama had been arranged by her uncle, Imagawa Yoshimoto, ostensibly to help cement ties between the two clans, though Ieyasu found it difficult to live with his wife's jealousy, tempestuous moods, and eccentric habits.
Starting around the time of the Battle of Mikatagahara
Battle of Mikatagahara
The ' was one of the most famous battles of Takeda Shingen's campaigns, and one of the best demonstrations of his cavalry-based tactics.-Background:...
(1573), perhaps in its aftermath, Ieyasu began to confide in Oai and sought her counsel on various matters. It may have been during this period that the two commenced an amorous relationship. Oai is credited with advising Ieyasu as the Battle of Nagashino
Battle of Nagashino
The ' took place in 1575 near Nagashino Castle on the plain of Shitaragahara in the Mikawa province of Japan. Forces under Takeda Katsuyori had besieged the castle since the 17th of June; Okudaira Sadamasa , a Tokugawa vassal, commanded the defending force...
(1575) approached, a major turning point in Ieyasu's career, and in the history of Japan. It is also thought that Ieyasu continued to seek her advice concerning other battles and alliances, even as late as the Komaki-Nagakute Campaign
Battle of Komaki and Nagakute
The consisted of two battles in 1584 between the forces of Hashiba Hideyoshi and the forces of Oda Nobukatsu and Tokugawa Ieyasu. Hideyoshi and Ieyasu had both served Oda Nobunaga and had not previously come into conflict; this would in fact be their only period of enmity...
(1584).
In the spring of 1578, Oai moved to Hamamatsu Castle
Hamamatsu Castle
is a reconstructed hirayama-style Japanese castle. It was the seat of various fudai daimyō who ruled over Hamamatsu Domain, Tōtōmi Province, in what is now central Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan...
, where she took over management of the kitchen, and became very popular with the unit of warriors from her native province who not only admired her beauty, but regarded her as a gentle and virtuous example of the women of Mikawa. While her manners and gentility were exemplary, she could, when the occasion warranted, be outspoken or sarcastic in speech, the probable result of growing up around rustic warriors in a remote castle outpost. With her move to the court of Ieyasu, Oai entered a bitter arena where prospective concubines schemed and competed with each other for a chance to bear Ieyasu's child. Bearing the child of a powerful samurai, especially a son, was one way an ambitious young woman of the period could elevate her status, ensure a comfortable life, and guarantee the prosperity of her family. These women usually relied on their physical attributes and sexual prowess to keep their lord's attention, and some resorted to the use of aphrodisiacs. Unlike these courtesans, Oai already had the attention of Ieyasu, which would have undermined the ambitions of some and very likely made her a target of resentment, hostility, and the intrigues that were common in Japanese harems.
Tokugawa Hidetada
was the second shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty, who ruled from 1605 until his abdication in 1623. He was the third son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate.-Early life :...
. The news was probably a shock to all who had an interest in Ieyasu, but with the event, Oai's position became more secure and she was accepted as the first consort of Ieyasu. Based on this relationship, and out of respect for her gentle manner and devotion to Ieyasu, she became known by the respectful title of Saigō-no-Tsubone, or Lady Saigo.
In the same year, Oda Nobunaga was informed that Lady Tsukiyama, Ieyasu's wife, had conspired against him with the Takeda clan. Although evidence was weak, Ieyasu re-assured his ally by having his wife executed by the shore of Lake Sanaru in Hamamatsu. Tokugawa Nobuyasu
Tokugawa Nobuyasu
was the eldest son of Tokugawa Ieyasu. His tsūshō was . He was called also , because he had become the lord of in 1570. Because he was a son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, he is often referred to, retroactively, as .-Biography:...
, Ieyasu's first son by Lady Tsukiyama, was held in confinement until Ieyasu ordered him to commit seppuku
Seppuku
is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. Seppuku was originally reserved only for samurai. Part of the samurai bushido honor code, seppuku was either used voluntarily by samurai to die with honor rather than fall into the hands of their enemies , or as a form of capital punishment...
. With their deaths, Lady Saigo's position at court was unassailable. While there has never been a suggestion that Lady Saigo had anything to do with the deaths of Lady Tsukiyama or her son, it was a disconcerting coincidence that the executions occurred within months of the birth of Hidetada. With the death of Nobuyasu, Hidetada became Ieyasu's heir apparent.
Ieyasu's fourth son, the second by Lady Saigo, was born on October 18, 1580. He was later adopted into a branch family, and was known as Matsudaira Tadayoshi. In the same year, Lady Saigo had a temple founded in her mother's memory, indicating she had passed away by that point. In 1586, Lady Saigo was at the side of Ieyasu when he entered the newly re-constructed Sunpu Castle
Sunpu Castle
was a Japanese castle in Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture in Japan. The sobriquet of this feudal fortress was the "Castle of the Floating Isle." It was also referred to as or .-History:...
in triumph. This was a highly symbolic moment of his victories over his enemies and the subjugation of the region, but it was also a visible and symbolic gesture to Lady Saigo, a way that Ieyasu could credit her for her assistance, and publicly demonstrate the esteem in which he regarded her.
Charity
While at Sunpu Castle, Lady Saigo worshipped at a Buddhist templeBuddhist temples in Japan
Along with Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples are the most numerous, famous, and important religious buildings in Japan.The term "Shinto shrine" is used in opposition to "Buddhist temple" to mirror in English the distinction made in Japanese between Shinto and Buddhist religious structures. In...
called Ryusen-ji. She became devoted to the teachings of the Pure Land sect
Jodo Shu
, also known as Jōdo Buddhism, is a branch of Pure Land Buddhism derived from the teachings of the Japanese ex-Tendai monk Hōnen. It was established in 1175 and is the most widely practiced branch of Buddhism in Japan, along with Jōdo Shinshū....
and was known for her piety and charity. Because she suffered a high degree of myopia
Myopia
Myopia , "shortsightedness" ) is a refractive defect of the eye in which collimated light produces image focus in front of the retina under conditions of accommodation. In simpler terms, myopia is a condition of the eye where the light that comes in does not directly focus on the retina but in...
, she often donated money, clothing, food, and other necessities to blind women and organizations that assisted them. She eventually founded a co-operative school with living quarters near Ryusen-ji that assisted indigent blind women women by teaching them how to play the shamisen
Shamisen
The , also called is a three-stringed, Japanese musical instrument played with a plectrum called a bachi. The Japanese pronunciation is usually "shamisen" but sometimes "jamisen" when used as a suffix . -Construction:The shamisen is a plucked stringed instrument...
(traditional stringed instrument) as a vocation, and helped them to find employment. On her deathbed, Lady Saigo wrote a letter pleading for the continued maintenance of the organization.
Death
Within a short time after taking up residence in Sunpu Castle, Lady Saigo's health began to deteriorate. It was said that physical and emotional hardships were taking their toll on her health, but nothing could be done to help her. Lady Saigo passed away on July 1, 1589, at the age of 37. The cause of her early death was never determined, and while murder was suspected at the time, no culprit was identified. It was later suggested that she was poisoned by a maidservant devoted to Ieyasu's late wife, the Lady Tsukiyama.By the time of her death, Lady Saigo was treated as Ieyasu's wife in deed if not in word. The remains of Lady Saigo were interred at Ryusen-ji. At her death, a number of blind women reportedly gathered in front of the temple and prayed.
After death
Tokugawa Ieyasu continued his campaigns allied with Toyotomi HideyoshiToyotomi Hideyoshi
was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
. After their victory at the Siege of Odawara Castle
Siege of Odawara (1590)
The third ' occurred in 1590, and was the primary action in Toyotomi Hideyoshi's campaign to eliminate the Hōjō clan as a threat to his power. The months leading up to it saw hasty but major improvements in the defense of the castle, as Hideyoshi's intentions became clear...
in 1590, Ieyasu agreed to relinquish all of his domains to Hideyoshi in exchange for the Kantō region
Kanto region
The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....
to the east. Hideyoshi died in 1598 and by 1603, Ieyasu had recovered Sunpu Castle, completed his unification of Japan, and was named shogun by the Emperor. The following year, he had Ryusen-ji moved from Yuunoki to Kounaya village near Sunpu Castle and attended Buddhist funeral rites conducted in honor of the late Lady Saigo on the anniversary of her death. To mark the occasion, Ieyasu presented the temple priests with the katana
Katana
A Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
he inherited from his father, and a portrait of himself as he looked at the time. These items can still be viewed at the temple in Shizuoka city
Shizuoka, Shizuoka
is the capital city of Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, and the prefecture's second-largest city in terms of both population and area. It became one of Japan's 19 "designated cities" in 2005.-Geography:...
.
In 1628, Tokugawa Hidetada, by then the retired second shogun, attended ceremonies conducted in honor of his late mother on the anniversary of her death. These ceremonies were meant to help her spirit achieve buddha status. He also saw to it that she was made the honored tutelary patron of the temple by having her posthumous name changed and the first three characters appended to the name of the temple. Today, the temple Ryusen-ji is known mainly by that appellation, Houdai-in (宝台院). At the same time, the Emperor Go-Mizunoo
Emperor Go-Mizunoo
was the 108th Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Go-Mizunoo's reign spanned the years from 1611 through 1629.This 17th century sovereign was named after the 9th century Emperor Seiwa and , translates literally as "later;" and thus, he could be called the "Later...
conferred the name Minamoto Masako (源晶子) upon Lady Saigo, in effect posthumously adopting her into the Minamoto clan
Minamoto clan
was one of the surnames bestowed by the Emperors of Japan upon members of the imperial family who were demoted into the ranks of the nobility. The practice was most prevalent during the Heian Period , although its last occurrence was during the Sengoku Era. The Taira were another such offshoot of...
, the extended family of the Imperial line. The new name was then inducted into the Lower First Rank of the Imperial Court. Her status was later upgraded to Senior First Rank, the highest and most prominent award, then or now, bestowed by the Emperor to few subjects outside the Imeprial family who had significantly and positively affected the history of Japan.
In 1938, the mausoleum of Lady Saigo at Houdai-in, which consisted of a five-tiered stupa
Gorinto
is the name of a Japanese type of Buddhist pagoda believed to have been first adopted by the Shingon and Tendai sects during the mid Heian period. It is used for memorial or funerary purposes and is therefore common in Buddhist temples and cemeteries. It is also called or , where the term sotoba...
over her grave and a sanctuary for the veneration of her spirit, was designated an Important Cultural Property
Important Cultural Properties of Japan
The term is often shortened into just are items officially already classified as Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan by the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs and judged to be of particular importance to the Japanese people....
. The designation was rescinded after the entire temple complex was destroyed in the Great Shizuoka Fire on January 15, 1940. The stupa remains, though evidence of the damage suffered when it toppled over is plainly visible. Many of the treasures of the temple, including a portrait of Lady Saigo and the sword and portrait bequeathed by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1604, were saved by the priests who flung the objects out of windows and doorways before fleeing the burning temple. The temple was re-built using steel-reinforced concrete in 1970. Historical artifacts saved from the fire of 1940 are on display at the new Houdai-in temple in Shizuoka city.
Notable descendants
Lady Saigo was the ancestral mother to the line of shoguns that began with the second Edo PeriodEdo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
shogun, Tokugawa Hidetada, and ended with the seventh shogun, Tokugawa Ietsugu
Tokugawa Ietsugu
Tokugawa Ietsugu; 徳川 家継 was the seventh shogun of the Tokugawa Dynasty, who ruled from 1713 until his death in 1716...
(1709–1716). Aside from this, Lady Saigo also became connected to the Imperial line. In 1620, Hidetada's daughter, Tokugawa Masako
Tokugawa Masako
, also known as Kazu-ko, was an empress consort of Japan. She was the daughter of Tokugawa Hidetada, who was the second shogun of the Edo period of the history of Japan.* 1620 : Masako entered the palace as a consort of the Emperor Go-Mizunoo...
(1607–1678), married Emperor Go-Mizunoo and entered the Imperial palace. As empress consort, Masako would have a positive impact on the maintenance of the Imperial Court, significantly influenced the next three monarchs (all children of Go-Mizunoo), and was known as a patron of the arts. The daughter of Masako, and thus great-granddaughter of Lady Saigo, was Princess Okiko (1624–1696), who acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne
Chrysanthemum Throne
The is the English term used to identify the throne of the Emperor of Japan. The term can refer to very specific seating, such as the takamikura throne in the Shishin-den at Kyoto Imperial Palace....
in 1629 as Empress Meishō
Empress Meisho
was the 109th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Meishō's reign spanned the years from 1629 to 1643.In the history of Japan, Meishō was the seventh of eight women to become empress regnant. The six female monarchs who reigned before Meishō-tennō were Suiko, ...
. She reigned for fifteen years as the 109th monarch of Japan, the seventh of only eight empresses regnant in the history of Japan, until she abdicated in 1643.
See also
- Azuchi-Momoyama PeriodAzuchi-Momoyama periodThe came at the end of the Warring States Period in Japan, when the political unification that preceded the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate took place. It spans the years from approximately 1573 to 1603, during which time Oda Nobunaga and his successor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, imposed order...
- GozeGozeis a Japanese historic term referring to visually impaired Japanese women, of whom most worked as musicians.- Etymology :The ideographs for mean "blind" and "woman." The ideographs are, however, read in this manner because the word already existed. In fact, it probably derived from the term ,...
- Nirengi CastleNirengi Castlewas a Japanese castle in what is now the city of Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, during the Sengoku Period. There are no extant structures left; however, a park was built on the site where the castle once stood, and a stone monument and some explanatory signboards were erected by the city.The name of...
- OeyoOeyo, , or : 1573 – September 15, 1626) was a prominently-placed female figure in late-Sengoku period. She married three times, first to Saji Kazunari, then to Toyotomi Hideyoshi's nephew Toyotomi Hidekatsu. Her third and last husband Tokugawa Hidetada became the second Tokugawa shogun...
- Tokugawa IemitsuTokugawa IemitsuTokugawa Iemitsu was the third shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Hidetada, and the grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Iemitsu ruled from 1623 to 1651.-Early life :...
- Tokugawa TadanagaTokugawa Tadanagawas a Japanese daimyo of the early Edo period. The son of the second shogun Tokugawa Hidetada, his elder brother was the third shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu.- Life :...
- Toyohashi, AichiToyohashi, Aichiis a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.The city was founded on August 1, 1906. As of January 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 383,691 and a density of 1,468.62 persons per km². The total area is . By size, Toyohashi was Aichi Prefecture's second-largest city until March 31,...
External links
- 隆家流藤原氏 (Takaiie branch, Fujiwara clan), with genealogyGenealogyGenealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...
of the main line of the Mikawa-Saigo family.