Lady Kasuga
Encyclopedia
was from a prominent Japanese
samurai
family of the Azuchi-Momoyama
and Edo period
s. Born Saitō Fuku (斉藤福), she was a daughter of Saitō Toshimitsu
(who was a retainer of Akechi Mitsuhide
). Her mother's father was Inaba Yoshimichi. Married to Inaba Masanari, she had three sons, including Inaba Masakatsu
, and an adopted son, Hotta Masatoshi
. She was the wet nurse
of the third Tokugawa
shogun
Iemitsu
. She also established the Ōoku, the women's quarters, at Edo Castle
.
In 1629, Ofuku traveled to the capital, where she had an audience with the emperor at the Imperial Court in Kyoto
. She was promoted to the extraordinarily high Court rank of second class; and after this time, she was called Kasuga-no-Tsubone or Lady Kasuga.
Her grave is in Rinshō-in, a temple in Bunkyō
, Tokyo
; the temple possesses a portrait of Kasuga by Kanō Tan'yū. The Kasuga neighborhood of Bunkyō takes its name from her. Another grave is in Odawara
, Kanagawa Prefecture
.
Lady Kasuga has been the subject of various films and television series, and has been a character in many more. Among the most prominent are these:
a
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
family of the Azuchi-Momoyama
Azuchi-Momoyama period
The 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...
and 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....
s. Born Saitō Fuku (斉藤福), she was a daughter of Saitō Toshimitsu
Saito Toshimitsu
was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period. Once a retainer of Inaba Ittetsu, he later joined Akechi Mitsuhide. Oda Nobunaga became extremely angry when hearing of this event, and would have killed him if not for Mitsuhide's intervention. Toshimitsu was also vital for the Akechi action at...
(who was a retainer of Akechi Mitsuhide
Akechi Mitsuhide
, nicknamed Jūbei or called from his clan name and title, was a samurai who lived during the Sengoku period of Feudal Japan.Mitsuhide was a general under daimyo Oda Nobunaga, although he became infamous for his betrayal in 1582, which led to Nobunaga's death at Honno-ji...
). Her mother's father was Inaba Yoshimichi. Married to Inaba Masanari, she had three sons, including Inaba Masakatsu
Inaba Masakatsu
was a daimyō of early Edo period, Japan, who ruled Kakioka and Mōka , and was finally transferred to Odawara Domain in Sagami Province.-Biography:...
, and an adopted son, Hotta Masatoshi
Hotta Masatoshi
was a daimyō in Shimousa Province, and top government advisor and official in the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. He served as rōjū to Shogun Tokugawa Ietsuna from 1679–80, and as Tairō under Tokugawa Tsunayoshi from the 12th day of the 11th lunar month of 1681 until his death on 7 October...
. She was the wet nurse
Wet nurse
A wet nurse is a woman who is used to breast feed and care for another's child. Wet nurses are used when the mother is unable or chooses not to nurse the child herself. Wet-nursed children may be known as "milk-siblings", and in some cultures the families are linked by a special relationship of...
of the third Tokugawa
Tokugawa clan
The was a powerful daimyo family of Japan. They nominally descended from Emperor Seiwa and were a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Nitta clan. However, the early history of this clan remains a mystery.-History:...
shogun
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...
Iemitsu
Tokugawa Iemitsu
Tokugawa 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 :...
. She also established the Ōoku, the women's quarters, at Edo Castle
Edo Castle
, also known as , is a flatland castle that was built in 1457 by Ōta Dōkan. It is located in Chiyoda in Tokyo, then known as Edo, Toshima District, Musashi Province. Tokugawa Ieyasu established the Tokugawa shogunate here. It was the residence of the shogun and location of the shogunate, and also...
.
In 1629, Ofuku traveled to the capital, where she had an audience with the emperor at the Imperial Court in Kyoto
Imperial Court in Kyoto
thumb|left|350px|Front view of Kyoto imperial palaceImperial Court in Kyoto was the nominal ruling government of Japan from 794 AD until the Meiji Era, in which the court was moved to Tokyo and integrated into the Meiji government....
. She was promoted to the extraordinarily high Court rank of second class; and after this time, she was called Kasuga-no-Tsubone or Lady Kasuga.
Her grave is in Rinshō-in, a temple in Bunkyō
Bunkyo, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. Situated in the middle of the ward area, Bunkyō is a residential and educational center. Beginning in the Meiji period, literati like Natsume Sōseki, as well as scholars and politicians have lived there...
, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
; the temple possesses a portrait of Kasuga by Kanō Tan'yū. The Kasuga neighborhood of Bunkyō takes its name from her. Another grave is in Odawara
Odawara, Kanagawa
is a city located in western Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 198,466 with a population density of 1,740 persons per km² . The total area was .-Geography:...
, Kanagawa Prefecture
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
.
Lady Kasuga has been the subject of various films and television series, and has been a character in many more. Among the most prominent are these:
- Jotei Kasuga no Tsubone (1990, directed by Sadao NakajimaSadao Nakajimais a Japanese film director and screenwriter known for his work in yakuza film and jidaigeki.-Career:Born in Chiba Prefecture, he attended Hibiya High School and then the University of Tokyo before joining the Tōei studio in 1959...
) - Ōoku (2004) portrayed by Yuki Matsushita
- Kasuga no Tsubone (1989 NHKNHKNHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
Taiga dramaTaiga dramais the name NHK gives to the annual, year-long historical fiction television series it broadcasts in Japan. Beginning in 1963 with the black-and-white Hana no Shōgai, starring kabuki actor Onoe Shōroku and Takarazuka star Awashima Chikage, the network has hired a producer, director, writer, music...
) portrayed by Reiko ŌharaOhara Reikowas a Japanese actress. Her death was first reported on August 6, 2009, but the reports stated that she had died over two weeks earlier.-External links:*... - Basilisk: The Kouga Ninja Scrolls (2005 anime and manga) voiced by Kimiko SaitōKimiko Saitois a female seiyū born in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. She is affiliated with Aoni Production.-Anime:* Area 88 * Ayakashi * Bakugan: Gundalian Invaders * Basilisk: The Kouga Ninja Scrolls...
.
External links
- Jotei: Kasuga no tsubone at IMDB
a