Lady Kasuga - Lady Kasuga

Japanese: 春日局 - かすがのつぼね

Year of death: September 14, 1643 (October 26, 1643)
Year of birth: Tensho 7 (1579)
She was the wet nurse of the third Tokugawa Shogun, Iemitsu. She was commonly known as O-Fuku. She was the daughter of Saito Toshimitsu, a chief retainer of Akechi Mitsuhide, and O-An, the daughter of Inaba Michiaki. After her father was beheaded and crucified for participating in Mitsuhide's attack on Honno-ji Temple, she became the adopted daughter of Inaba Shigemichi, a member of her maternal family. She became the second wife of Shigemichi's adopted son, Masanari, and gave birth to Masakatsu, Masasada, and Masatoshi. Masanari served Kobayakawa Hideaki and distinguished himself in the Battle of Sekigahara, but later left Hideaki to become a ronin. Tsubone suffered hardships twice, once after her father's death and once while her husband was a ronin. In 1604, she went to Edo to become Iemitsu's wet nurse, but was separated from her husband before he entered the Ooku. When Iemitsu's parents, the second shogun Hidetada and his wife Oeyo no Kata (Sugen'in), doted on his younger brother Tadanaga, who was two years younger than him, and Iemitsu's position as the next shogun was in jeopardy, Tsubone left Edo on the pretext of going to Ise Shrine and appealed directly to the Shogun Ieyasu of Suruga. As a result, Ieyasu arranged for Tsubone to be established as the heir to Iemitsu. In 1629 (Kan'ei 6), the shogunate had Tsubone travel to Kyoto to resolve the Purple Robe Incident that occurred with the Imperial Court. Tsubone was attended to by Empress Kazuko (Tofukumon'in, Hidetada's daughter), and had an audience with the Emperor in her capacity as the younger sister of Sanjonishi Sanejyo, where she was given the title of Kasuga no Tsubone and scarlet hakama. However, the court nobles opposed this visit, and Emperor Gomizunoo abdicated. Tsubone is said to have organized the system of the Ooku and institutionalized the rules. Not only did she control the Ooku, but she also had a say in the public sphere. Senior councilors Hotta Masamori and Matsudaira Nobutsuna also served Iemitsu closely from a young age, and were greatly influenced by her as they grew up. Through her connections, her ex-husband Masanari became a daimyo with a stipend of 20,000 koku, her eldest son Masakatsu rose to the rank of senior councilor, and her elder brothers Saito Toshimune and Mitsunori were both appointed as hatamoto. Tsubone herself was given residences in Daikancho and Kasugacho, and was granted a stipend of 3,000 koku. After her death, she was buried in Tenzawa-ji Temple (Rinsho-in) in Yushima, Edo, which she built herself. The portrait of Kasuga no Tsubone wearing scarlet hakama that still remains at Rinsho-in is said to have been painted by Iemitsu by Kano Tan'yu to celebrate her 60th birthday. <References> "Ryueifuji Denkei" 8 volumes ("Tokugawa Shoka Keifu" 1 volume), "Kasuga no Tsubone Fuburiyaku", "Kasuga no Tsubone Kenjo Kamekan" by Fukuchi Ochi, "Gotenjochu" by Mitamura Engyo

(Naoko Hata)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：寛永20.9.14(1643.10.26)
生年：天正7(1579)
徳川3代将軍家光の乳母。通称お福。明智光秀の家老斎藤利三と稲葉通明の娘おあんとの子。父が光秀の本能寺襲撃に加担して斬首のうえ磔刑に処されたのち,母方の一族稲葉重通の養女となる。重通の養子正成の後妻となり,正勝,正定,正利を生む。正成は小早川秀秋に仕え,関ケ原の戦で功をあげるが,その後秀秋の許を離れ浪人。局は父の死後と夫の浪人中と2度にわたり辛酸をなめた。慶長9(1604)年家光の乳母となるべく江戸へ赴いて,大奥入りの前に夫と離別。家光の両親である2代将軍秀忠と御台所お江与の方(崇源院)が2歳下の弟忠長を溺愛したため家光の次期将軍の座が危うくなるや,局は伊勢参宮を口実に江戸を出て,駿府の大御所家康に直訴した。その結果,家康の計らいにより家光の世嗣としての立場が確立する。寛永6(1629)年朝廷との間で起きた紫衣事件の解決のため,幕府は局を上洛させる。局は中宮和子(東福門院,秀忠の娘)に伺候,三条西実条の妹という資格で天皇に拝謁し,春日の局号と緋袴を賜った。しかしこの参内に公家達は反発,後水尾天皇は譲位する。局は大奥の制度を整え,掟なども制度化したという。また大奥を掌握したのみでなく,表に対しても発言力があった。老中堀田正盛,松平信綱らも年少のころから家光の側近くに仕え,局の大きな影響を受けて育った。局の縁故により前夫正成は2万石の大名となり,長男正勝は老中に出世し,兄斎藤利宗・三存も旗本に取り立てられた。局自身も代官町と春日町に屋敷を賜り,3000石を領した。没後は自らが建立した江戸湯島天沢寺(麟祥院)に葬られた。今も麟祥院に残る緋袴を着した春日局像は,局の還暦祝に家光が狩野探幽に描かせたものといわれる。<参考文献>『柳営婦女伝系』8巻(『徳川諸家系譜』1巻),『春日局譜略』,福地桜痴『春日局賢女亀鑑』,三田村鳶魚『御殿女中』

(畑尚子)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

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