Ano Reiko - Ano Reiko

Japanese: 阿野廉子 - あの・れんし

Year of death: Enbun 4/Shohei 14.4.29 (1359.5.26)
Year of birth: 1301
During the Kamakura and Nanboku-cho periods, she was favored by Emperor Go-Daigo, supported the Kenmu government, and supported the Southern Court as the mother of Emperor Go-Murakami. She was the daughter of Ano Kinkado. She became a court lady when Emperor Go-Daigo's Empress Kishi entered the Imperial Court. She soon gained the favor of Go-Daigo, and gave birth to three sons and two daughters: Prince Tsunenaga, Prince Narinaga, Prince Yoshinaga (Emperor Go-Murakami), Princess Shoshi, and Princess Koreko. She became the adopted daughter of Toin Kinkata, the husband of Go-Daigo's wet nurse, and was awarded the rank of Junior Third Rank, and is known as "Sanmidono no Gokyoku." The Taiheiki records that she was both intelligent and beautiful, and was not only "specially attractive" but also "benevolent," so she was the favorite of Go-Daigo's many favorite concubines, and accompanied him wherever he went. As a court lady, she is thought to have demonstrated her abilities in the internal affairs of the Imperial Court. She also accompanied Go-Daigo when he was exiled to Oki Islands following the Genkō Incident (1331). After the Kenmu government was established, she became the third empress and appointed Tsuneyoshi as crown prince and Shōshi as saigū. She then entrusted her six-year-old youngest son, Yoshiyoshi, to Kitabatake Chikafusa and sent him off to Mutsu, and then entrusted Nariyoshi to the care of Ashikaga Takauji and Tadayoshi and sent him to Kanto. She likely had no choice but to entrust her two children to the two major powers of the new government. Tsuneyoshi and Nariyoshi were later killed by the Ashikaga clan or died after being imprisoned. After the collapse of the new government, she assisted Go-Daigo in Yoshino, and after his death she assisted Go-Murakami in uniting the Southern Court forces and ensuring the security of his territory. When the peace treaty of Shohei Unification (1351) was concluded, she became a female empress at the Imperial Court under the name Shintaikemon'in, but the Southern Court was unable to occupy Kyoto and fled back to Ano Imperial Palace. The Taiheiki writes badly of Reiko, using her as an example of a hen court. The memorial to Kitabatake Akiie upon his death also implicitly criticizes Reiko. However, Reiko played a major role in the Southern Court as a right-hand man to Go-Daigo and a force supporting Go-Murakami from behind. Reiko's waka poems are included in the Shinyo Wakashu and Rikkashu, and some of them are full of emotion. <References> Sato Shinichi, "The Disturbances of the Northern and Southern Courts," Wakita Haruko, "Ano Reiko" ("Biographical History of Japanese Women," Vol. 5)

(Haruko Wakita)

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

Japanese:

没年：延文4/正平14.4.29(1359.5.26)
生年：正安3(1301)
鎌倉・南北朝時代,後醍醐天皇の寵を受け,建武政権を支え,後村上天皇生母として南朝を支えた女院。阿野公廉の娘。後醍醐天皇中宮禧子の入内にともない,内侍となる。ほどなく後醍醐の寵愛を受けて,恒良親王,成良親王,義良親王(後村上天皇),祥子内親王,惟子内親王の3男2女を生んだ。後醍醐の乳母の夫の洞院公賢の養女となり,従三位に叙せられて,「三位殿の御局」と呼ばれている。『太平記』には,才色兼備で「殊艶」のみならず「便佞」であるので,後醍醐の数多い寵姫のなかでも一番のお気に入りで,どこに行くにも一緒であったと記している。内侍として,宮廷の内政に能力を発揮したと思われる。元弘の変(1331)によって後醍醐が隠岐に配流されたときも同行した。建武政権樹立後は准三后になり,恒良を皇太子に,祥子を斎宮に立てている。さらに末の6歳の義良を北畠親房に委ね,陸奥に旅立たせ,次に成良を足利尊氏・直義兄弟に預けて関東に行かせている。新政の2大勢力に2子を委ねざるをえなかったのであろう。のちに恒良・成良兄弟は,足利氏によって殺されたり,幽閉ののちに死んでいる。新政瓦解後,吉野にあって後醍醐を助け,その亡きあとは後村上を助けて南朝勢力の結集に努め,所領の安堵などを行っている。正平の一統(1351)という和議が成立したとき,朝廷において新待賢門院という女院となったが,南朝は京都を占領できず,賀名生行宮に逃げ帰った。『太平記』は雌鶏朝を告げる例として,廉子を悪く書いている。北畠顕家の死に臨んでの上奏文も廉子を暗に非難している。しかし,後醍醐の片腕として,後村上を背後より支える力として,南朝において廉子の果たした役割は大きい。『新葉和歌集』『李花集』には廉子の和歌が収録されていて,心情あふれるものがある。<参考文献>佐藤進一『南北朝の動乱』,脇田晴子「阿野廉子」(『人物日本の女性史』5巻)

(脇田晴子)

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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