Inokuma Incident

An adultery case involving courtier Inokuma Noritoshi and others occurred in the early Edo period. In February 1607 (Keicho 12), Left Shosho Inokuma Noritoshi was punished by imperial pardon for having an affair with a court lady and fled the country. Then, in July 1609, it was discovered that councilor Karasuma Mitsuhiro and other seven young nobles had engaged in adultery with five court ladies, including the lady-in-waiting Hirohashi, who had arrived the previous year. Emperor Goyozei was furious, and informed the shogunate of his intention to have them executed. Tokugawa Ieyasu exiled the female court attendant to Niijima Island in Izu, exiled five court nobles to Ezo and other places, and executed Noritoshi and others who were captured, but this leniency did not seem to be in keeping with the wisdom of the wise, and it was one of the reasons why the emperor later considered abdicating. This incident also set an example of the shogunate interfering in the careers of its courtiers.

[Masanobu Hashimoto]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸初期に起きた廷臣猪熊教利(のりとし)らの密通事件。1607年（慶長12）2月左少将猪熊教利が官女との密通により勅勘(ちょっかん)を受けて出奔し、ついで09年7月には参議烏丸光広(からすまみつひろ)ら若公家衆(くげしゅう)7人が、前年来典侍(てんじ)広橋氏ら女官5人と遊興にふけり、密通していたことが発覚。後陽成(ごようぜい)天皇は激怒し、彼らを極刑に処すべく、その意向を幕府に伝えた。徳川家康は女官を伊豆新島(にいじま)に、公家衆5人を蝦夷(えぞ)などに配流し、捕らえた教利らを斬罪(ざんざい)に処したが、この寛刑は叡慮(えいりょ)にかなわなかったようで、のち天皇が譲位を思い立つ一因ともなった。またこの一件は、幕府をして廷臣の進退に干渉させる例を開くものとなった。

［橋本政宣］

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