Koto no Naishi - Koto no Naishi

Japanese: 勾当内侍 - こうとうのないし

Year of birth: Year of birth and death unknown. During the Northern and Southern Court period, she was one of the wives of Nitta Yoshisada. Daughter of Sesonji Tsunetada and younger sister of Ichijo Yukifusa. According to one theory, she was also Yukifusa's daughter. Nioto no Naishi was her job title. The Taiheiki describes her as "the most beautiful woman in the world." Yoshisada fell in love with her when he heard the sound of Naishi playing the koto, and sent her a poem. The Taiheiki records that in 1336, when Ashikaga Takauji had fallen into exile in Kyushu, Yoshisada missed the opportunity to immediately go down to the area and destroy him because he was reluctant to part with the Naishi and delayed his visit. It also says that when Emperor Go-Daigo fled to Mount Hiei, he did not pursue him on Katsu, even though he should have, because he was confused by the Naishi. She is portrayed as a woman who misled Yoshisada at every stage of his life, in other words as a beautiful woman who brought down a nation, but this is thought to follow a pattern found in military literature, and it is unclear how much of this is true. After Yoshisada's death in battle, she is said to have become a nun and lived near Ojo-in Temple in Saga. Yoshisada's wife was the daughter of Ando Saemongoro Shigeyasu and Yoshiaki's birth mother. When Yoshisada attacked and defeated Hojo Takatoki, she hinted at Takatoki's uncle Ando Masahide's plea for his life, but Masahide instead scolded her. Another known wife of Yoshisada was the daughter of Amano Tamibu Tachibana Tokinobu.

(Tabata Yasuko)

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

Japanese:

生年：生没年不詳
南北朝時代,新田義貞の妻のひとり。世尊寺経尹の娘,一条行房の妹。一説に行房の娘とも。匂当内侍は職名。『太平記』は「天下第一の美人」とする。内侍の弾く琴の音を聞いて義貞が恋慕し,歌を遣わしたのが出会いである。建武3/延元1(1336)年,足利尊氏が九州に没落していたとき,直ちに下向して討ち滅ぼすべき好機を失したのは,義貞が内侍との別れを惜しんで下向を延期したためと『太平記』は記す。また後醍醐天皇が比叡山に逃れたとき,勝に乗って追撃すべきところをしなかったのも内侍に迷ったせいだとする。節目節目で義貞の進退を誤らせた女性,つまり傾国の美女として描かれているわけであるが,これは軍記文学のパターンを踏んだものと考えられ,どこまでが事実か定かではない。義貞の討死後は,出家して嵯峨の往生院辺りに住んだといわれる。なお義貞の正室は,安藤左衛門五郎重保の娘で義顕の生母。義貞が北条高時を攻め滅ぼしたとき,高時方の叔父安東聖秀の命乞いをほのめかした彼女は,聖秀から逆にたしなめられたという。義貞の妻としてはほかに天野民部橘時宣の娘も知られている。

(田端泰子)

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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