Ooku
Encyclopedia
The refers to the harem
of Edo Castle
, the section where the women connected to the reigning Shōgun
resided. Similar areas in the castles of powerful Daimyō
were also referred to by this term.
This included the shōgun's mother, wife
, and concubines. Rumored to house several thousand women, including maids and servants at one point, the Ōoku was, as much as any other part of Edo Castle, a focal point of political intrigue for the Tokugawa government.
There were no male adults admitted onto the floor of the Ōoku without the Shōgun. The corridor through which the Shōgun entered was called "passage of the bells", derived from the ringing of the bells
to announce the entrance of the Shōgun. This corridor was the only route which connected the Ōoku to rest of Edo Castle, and it was usually locked.
Later, a second corridor was built as the escape route against disasters such as fires or earthquake
s.
A lady in the rank of an or held the reins of power in the Ōoku, and she attained the influence equivalent to a Rōjū
in Edo Castle.
The Ōoku was built inside the Edo castle
in 1607 by Tokugawa Hidetada
. He passed a special law for the Ōoku to completely separate it from the outside world. Therefore, noblewomen living in the Ōoku couldn't leave the castle without permission. This system lasted for nearly 200 years.
ese television drama
Ōoku: Hana no Ran, Atsuhime (NHK
Taiga drama
), Oh! Oku
(2006 film) and Ōoku (2010 film).
Harem
Harem refers to the sphere of women in what is usually a polygynous household and their enclosed quarters which are forbidden to men...
of 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...
, the section where the women connected to the reigning Shōgun
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...
resided. Similar areas in the castles of powerful Daimyō
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
were also referred to by this term.
This included the shōgun's mother, wife
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...
, and concubines. Rumored to house several thousand women, including maids and servants at one point, the Ōoku was, as much as any other part of Edo Castle, a focal point of political intrigue for the Tokugawa government.
There were no male adults admitted onto the floor of the Ōoku without the Shōgun. The corridor through which the Shōgun entered was called "passage of the bells", derived from the ringing of the bells
Suzu
is a round and hollow Japanese Shinto Bell that contains pellets that sound when agitated. Suzu come in many sizes, ranging from tiny ones on good luck charms to large ones at shrine entrances.- Role in Shinto :...
to announce the entrance of the Shōgun. This corridor was the only route which connected the Ōoku to rest of Edo Castle, and it was usually locked.
Later, a second corridor was built as the escape route against disasters such as fires or earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
s.
A lady in the rank of an or held the reins of power in the Ōoku, and she attained the influence equivalent to a 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...
in Edo Castle.
The Ōoku was built inside the 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 1607 by 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 :...
. He passed a special law for the Ōoku to completely separate it from the outside world. Therefore, noblewomen living in the Ōoku couldn't leave the castle without permission. This system lasted for nearly 200 years.
In popular culture
There are many popular portrayals of the Ōoku. Recent ones include the JapanJapan
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...
ese television drama
Japanese television drama
, also called , are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including murder romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, and many others...
Ōoku: Hana no Ran, Atsuhime (NHK
NHK
NHK 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 drama
Taiga drama
is 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...
), Oh! Oku
Oh! Oku
is a Japanese historic romance drama film released on December 23, 2006, by Fuji Television. The film revolves around the Ejima-Ikushima affair of 1714...
(2006 film) and Ōoku (2010 film).