Oooku
Encyclopedia
Ōoku was a Japanese
drama
produced by FujiTV
. The story is set in the Edo period
and is fiction set against a background of historical
fact. The Ōoku
was the part the ladies lived in Edo Castle.
The popularity of the show has produced five series (1968, 1983, 2003, and 2005) as well as a 2006 film, Oh! Oku
.
This article is about a series that focuses on the last two shoguns. An earlier series of the same title was a saga of loosely related episodes progressing from the earliest Tokugawa shoguns to the end.
) saved Maru from the bullying. Maru and Tokuko become very close friends
even though there was a great difference in their ranks.
Tokuko was born into a high-class samurai
family in Satsuma. She had a boyfriend
, Tougo, who she wanted to marry. But for political reasons, she had to marry Iesada Tokugawa
and live her whole life in Ōoku. Tokuko is clever, tough and has her own beliefs, so she always wanted to escape from Ōoku. Maru helps Tokuko's surroundings and also supports her mentally. Tokuko didn't like the system and rules of Ōoku, so she takes a defiant attitude toward Takiyama, the woman who administrates the Ōoku.
Takiyama is the woman with the strongest authority in Ōoku. She is able to speak with the general equally. She is very strict to everyone, especially Tokuko and Maru, who are considered outsiders. She was born into a very poor family but, because of her beauty, she got a job in Ōoku. She worked hard to protect Ōoku because it is the only place she can live.
Takiyama disliked Tokuko, not only because she was from Satsuma. Takiyama envied Tokuko because she was the wife of Iesada Tokugawa. Takiyama used be Iesada's lover
but, because of the distinction between their ranks, they couldn't marry or even love each other officially. Iesada's feeling goes toward Tokuko when he married her. But Takiyama still couldn't forget about Iesada and is especially strict toward Tokuko. Takiyama asks her worker to poison
Tokuko.
One day, Tokuko fell flat suddenly when she was eating. Someone poisoned her dinner. Tokuko narrowly escapes death and starts doubting Takiyama. Takiyama ignored her doubts, but Tokuko found poison in the kitchen. She asked Takiyama what the poison was. Takiyama said that it was a medicine
for not having baby. Tokuko was Iesada's wife, but he already had a child who would become the next general. Therefore, it was better for Tokuko to not have any children. Tokuko was shocked by Takiyama's story.
Tokuko was in the depths of despair. Having children was her only hope in Ōoku. If she could have a baby, she would have a hope for living. Though, as Takiyama said, she was not allowed to have a baby. She completely lost her hope for living. At the same time, Iesada's body was eaten up by unknown illness.
One day, there was a fire in Edo castle and Ōoku was also damaged. Ōoku was in panic. Maru took Tokuko to somewhere safe, but Tokuko suddenly went to the opposite side. Maru ran to Iesada to tell about Tokuko. Iesada went inside Ōoku again to find Tokuko. Takiyama tried to stop him but he won't listen. Though, he fell down spitting blood. Tokuko was found by Maru and hear about Iesada. She stayed beside him, but there was nothing Tokuko can do. Iesada died taking Tokuko's hand.
Tokuko's lover, Tougo comes from Satsuma to help Tokuko escape from Ōoku, but she refuses his offer. Tokuko decided to live in Ōoku and do what she can. She said to Tougo that she learned lot of things from Iesada. Takiyama hears this conversation and changes her image of Tokuko.
Iesada Tokugawa's age had ended.
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...
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...
produced by FujiTV
Fuji Television
is a Japanese television station based in Daiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, also known as or CX, based on the station's callsign "JOCX-DTV". It is the flagship station of the Fuji News Network and the ....
. The story is set in 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....
and is fiction set against a background of historical
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
fact. The Ōoku
Ooku
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...
was the part the ladies lived in Edo Castle.
The popularity of the show has produced five series (1968, 1983, 2003, and 2005) as well as a 2006 film, 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...
.
This article is about a series that focuses on the last two shoguns. An earlier series of the same title was a saga of loosely related episodes progressing from the earliest Tokugawa shoguns to the end.
Main casts
- Tokuko - Miho KannoMiho Kannois a Japanese actress and J-Pop singer. Her nickname is Kanchan . She was born in Sakado, Saitama, Japan.- Biography :In 1992, Kanno made her debut as a member of a group called Sakurakko Kurabu Sakura Gumi after passing the orientation for the TV variety show Sakurakko Kurabu...
- Takiyama - Yuko AsanoYūko Asanois a Japanese actress and singer. She won the award for best actress at the 19th Japan Academy Prize for Kura.-References:...
- Maru - Chizuru Ikewaki
- Kazunomiya - Yumi AdachiYumi AdachiYumi Adachi is a Japanese actress, model and singer. Her artistic surname Adachi corresponds to her mother's maiden name. Yuri Adachi, born in 1957, had been a model and actress in her own right.Yumi was born in Taito, Tokyo, Japan...
- Tougo - Ryuji Harada
- Iesada Tokugawa - Kazuki KitamuraKazuki Kitamurais a Japanese film and television actor. He won the award for best supporting actor at the 14th Yokohama Film Festival for Minazuki, Kyohansha and Kanzen-naru shiiku.-Movies:...
- Von Liquanstein - Vandon Linstein
Summary of the story
The story is set in Edo period in Ōoku, a place where thousands of women work for one general. The story is told from Maru's point of view. Maru is a girl from a merchant family. At that time, working in Ōoku was popular among girls. Maru was curious about Ōoku and took a job there out of curiosity. Other workers tended to bully her. One day, Tokuko, who was Tokugawa shogun's wife (御台所 midaidokoroMidaidokoro
The midaidokoro was the official wife of the Shogun. During the Edo period, she resided in the Ōoku of Edo Castle and sometimes wielded considerable political power behind the scenes....
) saved Maru from the bullying. Maru and Tokuko become very close friends
Friendship
Friendship is a form of interpersonal relationship generally considered to be closer than association, although there is a range of degrees of intimacy in both friendships and associations. Friendship and association are often thought of as spanning across the same continuum...
even though there was a great difference in their ranks.
Tokuko was born into a high-class 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 in Satsuma. She had a boyfriend
Boyfriend
A boyfriend is a person's regular male companion in a romantic or sexual relationship, although normally not in long-term committed relationships, where other titles A boyfriend is a person's regular male companion in a romantic or sexual relationship, although normally not in long-term committed...
, Tougo, who she wanted to marry. But for political reasons, she had to marry Iesada Tokugawa
Tokugawa Iesada
Tokugawa Iesada Tokugawa Iesada Tokugawa Iesada (徳川 家定 (May 6, 1824 – August 14, 1858) was the 13th shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan who held office for only 5 years, from 1853 to 1858. He was physically weak and therefore unfit to be shogun in this period of great challenges...
and live her whole life in Ōoku. Tokuko is clever, tough and has her own beliefs, so she always wanted to escape from Ōoku. Maru helps Tokuko's surroundings and also supports her mentally. Tokuko didn't like the system and rules of Ōoku, so she takes a defiant attitude toward Takiyama, the woman who administrates the Ōoku.
Takiyama is the woman with the strongest authority in Ōoku. She is able to speak with the general equally. She is very strict to everyone, especially Tokuko and Maru, who are considered outsiders. She was born into a very poor family but, because of her beauty, she got a job in Ōoku. She worked hard to protect Ōoku because it is the only place she can live.
Takiyama disliked Tokuko, not only because she was from Satsuma. Takiyama envied Tokuko because she was the wife of Iesada Tokugawa. Takiyama used be Iesada's lover
Love
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
but, because of the distinction between their ranks, they couldn't marry or even love each other officially. Iesada's feeling goes toward Tokuko when he married her. But Takiyama still couldn't forget about Iesada and is especially strict toward Tokuko. Takiyama asks her worker to poison
Poison
In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
Tokuko.
One day, Tokuko fell flat suddenly when she was eating. Someone poisoned her dinner. Tokuko narrowly escapes death and starts doubting Takiyama. Takiyama ignored her doubts, but Tokuko found poison in the kitchen. She asked Takiyama what the poison was. Takiyama said that it was a medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
for not having baby. Tokuko was Iesada's wife, but he already had a child who would become the next general. Therefore, it was better for Tokuko to not have any children. Tokuko was shocked by Takiyama's story.
Tokuko was in the depths of despair. Having children was her only hope in Ōoku. If she could have a baby, she would have a hope for living. Though, as Takiyama said, she was not allowed to have a baby. She completely lost her hope for living. At the same time, Iesada's body was eaten up by unknown illness.
One day, there was a fire in Edo castle and Ōoku was also damaged. Ōoku was in panic. Maru took Tokuko to somewhere safe, but Tokuko suddenly went to the opposite side. Maru ran to Iesada to tell about Tokuko. Iesada went inside Ōoku again to find Tokuko. Takiyama tried to stop him but he won't listen. Though, he fell down spitting blood. Tokuko was found by Maru and hear about Iesada. She stayed beside him, but there was nothing Tokuko can do. Iesada died taking Tokuko's hand.
Tokuko's lover, Tougo comes from Satsuma to help Tokuko escape from Ōoku, but she refuses his offer. Tokuko decided to live in Ōoku and do what she can. She said to Tougo that she learned lot of things from Iesada. Takiyama hears this conversation and changes her image of Tokuko.
Iesada Tokugawa's age had ended.