(died October 17, 1624), formerly known as , , , was an aristocrat and

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

nun, founder of the temple

Kōdai-ji __NOTOC__ , formally identified as , is a temple of the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Japan—the largest subtemple of the Kennin-ji branch. History It was established in 1606 by the nun Kōdai- ...

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin, Keihanshin metropolitan area along wi ...

, Japan. She was formerly the principal

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

wife of

Toyotomi Hideyoshi , otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: Military Innovations that Changed the Cour ...

under the name of . Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)
"Matsudaira Ietada"
in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 702. When she rose in higher political status, she took the title of "''

Kita no mandokoro was the chief governing body of an important family or monastic complex in ancient Japan. This name was borrowed for the administrative department of the Shogunate in feudal times. History The earliest usage of the term was found in the Hei ...

''". As the matriarch figure of the Toyotomi clan, she led all diplomatic affairs that had to do with the imperial court, and monitored the daimyos' families who were being held hostage at Osaka Castle.

Early life

Kōdai-in was born Sugihara Yasuko in Owari Province between 1541 and 1549. She was the second daughter of , a descendant of Taira no Sadamori, and the

Emperor Kammu , or Kammu, was the 50th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 桓武天皇 (50) retrieved 2013-8-22. according to the traditional order of succession. Kanmu reigned from 781 to 806, and it was during his reign that the scop ...

(735-806). She was adopted by her maternal uncle Asano Nagakatsu, a descendant of the

Toki clan The is a Japanese kin group. Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)"Toki," ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 61 retrieved 2013-5-9. History The Toki claim descent from Minamot ...

, of

Minamoto no Yorimitsu , also known as Minamoto no Raikō, served the regents of the Fujiwara clan along with his brother Yorinobu, taking the violent measures the Fujiwara were themselves unable to take. He is one of the earliest Minamoto of historical note for his mil ...

(944-1021), and the

Emperor Seiwa was the 56th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 清和天皇 (56)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Seiwa's reign spanned the years from 858 through 876.He was also the predecessor of Takeda ryu. T ...

(850-881). According to the "Hankanpu" (Genealogy of the Protectors of the Shogunate), she was first supposed to marry

Maeda Toshiie was one of the leading generals of Oda Nobunaga following the Sengoku period of the 16th century extending to the Azuchi–Momoyama period. His preferred weapon was a yari and he was known as "Yari no Mataza" (槍の又左), Matazaemon (又� ...

, but she became the wife of Hideyoshi.

Hideyoshi's wife

Around 1561, she married

Hashiba Hideyoshi , otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' ( feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: Military Innovations that Changed the Co ...

, a man who would later become one of the three great unifiers of Japan, although at the time of their marriage he had yet to gain much fame, and despite her mother Asahi-dono's opposition to this marriage, because of the difference in social status with her husband. Nene was his principal wife and also one of his favorite wives. In 1585, after Hideyoshi was appointed to the post of Imperial Regent (''Kampaku''), Nene took on the title of "''Kita no mandokoro."'' As the wife of Hideyoshi, Nene is most famous for being one of his closest aides and confidantes. The daughter of a samurai, she had many familial connections that netted Hideyoshi several retainers. Among these retainers were Sugihara Ietsugu (Nene's uncle),

Kinoshita Iesada was a samurai of the Sengoku through early Edo periods. He was the son of . Born Sugihara Magobei (杉原孫兵衛), he later took the new family name Kinoshita ("under the tree"), possibly to show his support for his brother-in-law, the general ...

(Nene's brother), Kobayakawa Hideaki (Nene's nephew) and

Asano Nagamasa was the brother-in-law of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and one of his chief advisors. Asano also fought for Oda Nobunaga and Hideyoshi in a number of campaigns during the Sengoku period of the 16th century of Japan. He was sent to Korea as one of the Thre ...

(Nene's brother-in-law). The last of these characters would serve as an important official in Hideyoshi's later administration. Nene was known to have been an intelligent woman who, at times, advised Hideyoshi on matters of governance by sending him letters. When Hideyoshi repealed the tax exemptions he had granted to the residents living in his headquarters at Nagahama, Nene appealed to him to reinstate the exemptions, and he did. It is also recorded that Hideyoshi frequently wrote letters to Nene to tell her about how his campaigns were going. Hideyoshi did this after his invasion of

Sassa Narimasa , also known as Kura-no-suke (内蔵助), was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku through Azuchi–Momoyama period.">DF 7 of 80">"Asa ..., where he was in the rear guard. In 1575, Narimasa fought at the Battle of Nagashino">DF 7 of 80/nowiki>">D ...

's territory in Japan's Hokuriku region and after his campaign against the

Shimazu clan The were the ''daimyō'' of the Satsuma han, which spread over Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga provinces in Japan. The Shimazu were identified as one of the '' tozama'' or outsider ''daimyō'' familiesAppert, Georges ''et al.'' (1888). in cont ...

. When Hideyoshi unified Japan, Nene often went with him to attend parties. She was courteous and respectful to her guests on every occasion. When Emperor Go-Yozei visited Hideyoshi's mansion with his entourage in 1588, Nene freely distributed a plethora of gifts to Hideyoshi's visitors. She also received the rank of Juichii from the Emperor himself. During

Japanese invasions of Korea Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

, Nene assisted the Toyotomi army by giving advise on how to transfer supplies from Japan to

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

. Though adored, Nene often found herself competing with other women for Hideyoshi's attention. In a letter to Nene, Oda Nobunaga also noted that Hideyoshi was somewhat dissatisfied with Nene. Hideyoshi took up several concubines. Nene did not bear any children.

Letter from Oda Nobunaga

''...It has been quite sometime since I last saw you, but your beauty grows day by day. Tokichiro'' ideyoshi''complains about you constantly and it is outrageous. While that "bald rat"'' ideyoshi''flusters to find another good woman, you remain lofty and elegant. Do not be envious. Show Hideyoshi this letter...''

Hideyoshi's widow

Nene worried about Hideyoshi often when he was on his deathbed. Eventually, as Hideyoshi was on his last throes, she petitioned the Imperial Court to sponsor a sacred dance ritual to pray for and expedite Hideyoshi's recovery. After Hideyoshi died in 1598, Nene became a nun and assumed the dharma name of Kōdai-in Kogetsuni. She was respected as a maternal figure for many retainers of the Toyotomi clan who proved to be loyal to her even after Hideyoshi's death. She gave up the eastern ward of

Osaka Castle is a Japanese castle in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. The castle is one of Japan's most famous landmarks and it played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi-Momoyama period. Layout The main tower ...

Tokugawa Ieyasu was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, which ruled Japan from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan, along with his former lord Oda Nobunaga and fello ...

and relocated herself to the imperial palace. Nene had a captivating and gentle personality, so she gained the respect of many, she helped and housed many women related to the Western Army (commanded by Ishida Mitsunari) after the Battle of Sekigahara. In 1602, after the Battle of Sekigahara, she had an audience with the mother of Tokugawa Ieyasu,

Odai no Kata Odai no kata (於大の方, 1528–1602), also known as Dai, Daishi, and Denzûin, was a Japanese noble lady from the Sengoku period. She was the mother of Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate. She was the daughter of Mizuno Tadamas ...

and Emperor Goyozei. In 1603, Nene attended

Toyotomi Hideyori was the son and designated successor of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the general who first united all of Japan. His mother, Yodo-dono, was the niece of Oda Nobunaga. Early life Born in 1593, he was Hideyoshi's second son. The birth of Hideyori cr ...

and Senhime's wedding. In 1606 with the help of Tokugawa Ieyasu, she established a

temple

, to which she moved. It became the burial area for her husband, his mother, and later Toyotomi Hideyori. During the contest between Toyotomi Hideyori and Tokugawa Ieyasu for supremacy (

Siege of Osaka The was a series of battles undertaken by the Japanese Tokugawa shogunate against the Toyotomi clan, and ending in that clan's destruction. Divided into two stages (winter campaign and summer campaign), and lasting from 1614 to 1615, the siege ...

), Kōdai-in took the side of Ieyasu.

Death

After her death in 1624 and burial within the temple compound, she was posthumously given the name of Hikari no Tenshi or "Angel of Light". Her remains would later be unearthed to make way for the sanctuary known as Otama-ya. Upon its completion, her remains was interred in there, placed under the wooden statue of herself, alongside the statue of Hideyoshi.

Legacy

The life of this prominent resident of Kyoto is still commemorated in a short street which bears her name. remains lined with structures built in traditional Kyoto style. Nene-no-Michi is located in Higashiyama Ward in eastern Kyoto near Kōdai-ji,

Maruyama Park is a park in Kyoto, Japan. It is noted as the main center for cherry blossom viewing in Kyoto, and can get extremely crowded at that time of year (April). The park's star attraction is a weeping cherry tree (''shidarezakura'') which becomes li ...

and

Yasaka Shrine Kanpei-taisha , once called , is a Shinto shrine in the Gion District of Kyoto, Japan. Situated at the east end of Shijō-dōri (Fourth Avenue), the shrine includes several buildings, including gates, a main hall and a stage. The Yasaka shrine is ...

.Rowthorn, Chris. (2005)
''Kyoto: City Guide,'' p. 95
JapanVisitors

/ref>

Mikazuki Munechika (sword)

Sword made by Sanjō Munechika (三条宗近), One of the

Five Swords under Heaven The are a group of five Japanese swords. Three are National Treasures of Japan, one an Imperial Property, and one a holy relic of Nichiren Buddhism. Among the five, some regard Dōjigiri as "the yokozuna of all Japanese swords" along with Ōkanehir ...

(天下五剣); the name "Mikazuki (三日月)", meaning "crescent moon" refers to the shape of the tempering pattern; owned by Kōdai-in, wife of

who bequeathed it to

Tokugawa Hidetada was the second ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty, who ruled from 1605 until his abdication in 1623. He was the third son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate. Early life (1579–1593) Tokugawa Hidetada was bo ...

, then handed down in the

Tokugawa clan The is a Japanese dynasty that was formerly a powerful ''daimyō'' family. They nominally descended from Emperor Seiwa (850–880) and were a branch of the Minamoto clan (Seiwa Genji) through the Matsudaira clan. The early history of this clan r ...

Honours

Junior First Rank The court ranks of Japan, also known in Japanese as ''ikai'' (位階), are indications of an individual's court rank in Japan based on the system of the state. ''Ikai'' as a system was originally used in the Ritsuryo system, which was the politi ...

(April 19, 1588)