Empress - Nyogo

One of the emperor's concubines. In China, the title appears in the Zhou Rites. They did not exist in the ryo system, and the example of the Kanmu dynasty is recorded in the Shoku Nihongi, but it is believed that they first came into existence during the Saga to Ninmyo dynasties, and eventually Nyogo and Saii became established instead of the wives and concubines of the ryo system. During the Montoku to Uda dynasties, there was no enthronement of an empress, and the status of Nyogo rose during this period, with the Fujiwara clan and imperial family making up the majority. After the reign of Daigo, many empresses were born from concubines, and the "Nyogo Nyuunai" ceremony, in which a daughter of the regent family entered the Imperial Court as a concubine, was particularly grand, as seen in the case of Michinaga's daughter Shoshi. This ceremony was abolished around the time of the Northern and Southern Courts, and was later revived when Toyotomi Hideyoshi adopted Konoe Sakihisa's daughter and had her enter the Imperial Court of Emperor Goyozei, and in the early modern period, the Shogun Hidetada's daughter entered the Imperial Court with great pomp. The title Togu no Nyōgo is also used.

[Nobuo Kuroita]

"Kojiruien: Imperial Section (Section on Empresses)" ▽ "The Japanese Harem, by Tsunoda Fumiei (1973, Gakutosha)" ▽ "A Study of the Harem and Ladies of the Heian Period, by Suda Haruko (1982, Chiyoda Shobo)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

天皇の侍妾(じしょう)の一つ。中国では『周礼(しゅらい)』にその称がみえる。令(りょう)制になく、『続(しょく)日本後紀』に桓武(かんむ)朝の例を伝えるが、確実な成立は嵯峨(さが)～仁明(にんみょう)朝と思われ、やがて令制の夫人(ぶにん)・嬪(ひん)にかわり女御・更衣が定着した。文徳(もんとく)～宇多(うだ)朝では皇后の冊立(さくりつ)がなく、この時期に女御の地位は高まり、藤原氏や皇親が大部分を占める。醍醐(だいご)朝以後、皇后は多くは女御よりたち、ことに摂関家の女(むすめ)が女御として入内(じゅだい)する「女御入内の儀」は、道長(みちなが)の女彰子(しょうし)の例にみるように盛大なものであった。この儀は南北朝ころに廃絶し、のち豊臣(とよとみ)秀吉が近衛前久(このえさきひさ)女を養女として後陽成(ごようぜい)天皇に入内させて復活、また近世では将軍秀忠(ひでただ)女の女御入内が盛大に行われた。なお東宮女御の称もみられる。

［黒板伸夫］

『『古事類苑　帝王部（女御の条）』』▽『角田文衛著『日本の後宮』（1973・学燈社）』▽『須田春子著『平安時代後宮及び女司の研究』（1982・千代田書房）』

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