The ''midaidokoro'' (御台所) was the official wife of the ''

shōgun , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakur ...

''. During the Edo period, she resided in the ''

Ōoku The refers to the women's quarters of Edo Castle, the section where the women connected to the reigning resided. Similar areas in the castles of powerful , such as the Satsuma Domain, were also referred to by this term. History The ''Ōok ...

'' of

Edo Castle is a flatland castle that was built in 1457 by Ōta Dōkan in Edo, Toshima District, Musashi Province. In modern times it is part of the Tokyo Imperial Palace in Chiyoda, Tokyo and is therefore also known as . Tokugawa Ieyasu established the ...

and sometimes wielded considerable political power behind the scenes.

Heian period

* Miyoshi Takako, wife of

Sakanoue no Tamuramaro was a court noble, general and ''shōgun'' of the early Heian period of Japan. He served as Dainagon, Minister of War and ''Ukon'e no Taisho'' (Major Captain of the Right Division of Inner Palace Guards). He held the ''kabane'' of Ōsukune and ...

and daughter of Miyoshi Kiyotsugu *

Tomoe Gozen Tomoe Gozen (, ) was an onna-musha from the late Heian period of Japanese history. She served Minamoto no Yoshinaka during the Genpei War and was a part of the conflict that led to the first shogunate. Her family had strong affiliations with Yos ...

, wife of

Minamoto no Yoshinaka , , or Lord Kiso was a general from the late Heian period of Japanese history. A member of the Minamoto clan, Minamoto no Yoritomo was his cousin and rival during the Genpei War between the Minamoto and the Taira clans. Yoshinaka was born in Musas ...

and daughter of Nakahara Kaneto

Kamakura period

Hōjō Masako was a Japanese politician who exercised significant power in the early years of the Kamakura period, which was reflected by her contemporary sobriquet of the "nun shogun". She was the wife of Minamoto no Yoritomo, and mother of Minamoto no Yorii ...

, daughter of

Hōjō Tokimasa was a Japanese samurai lord who was the first ''shikken'' (regent) of the Kamakura shogunate and head of the Hōjō clan. He was ''shikken'' from 1203 until his abdication in 1205, and Protector of Kyoto from 1185 to 1186. Background The Hōj ...

, wife of

Minamoto no Yoritomo was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura shogunate of Japan, ruling from 1192 until 1199.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Minamoto no Yoriie" in . He was the husband of Hōjō Masako who acted as regent (''shikken'') after his ...

and mother of

Minamoto no Yoriie was the second ''shōgun'' (1202–1203) of Japan's Kamakura shogunate, and the first son of first shōgun Yoritomo. His Dharma name was Hokke-in-dono Kingo Da'i Zengo (法華院殿金吾大禅閤). Life Minamoto no Yoriie was born to Hōjō M ...

and

Minamoto no Sanetomo was the third ''shōgun'' of the Kamakura shogunate. He was the second son of the Kamakura shogunate founder, Minamoto no Yoritomo. His mother was Hōjō Masako and his older brother was second Kamakura shogun Minamoto no Yoriie. His childhood n ...

* Wakasa no Tsubone (d.1203), daughter of

Hiki Yoshikazu was a Japanese samurai lord and a powerful ''gokenin'' of the Kamakura Shogunate during the Kamakura period. He was related to the ruling Minamoto clan through his daughter's marriage. He, and much of the Hiki clan, were killed for allegedly cons ...

and wife of

also mother of Take no Gosho (wife of

Kujo Yoritsune Kujo is an American outdoor footwear company specializing in shoes made for yard work. The company is based out of Cleveland, OH, Cleveland, Ohio. History Kujo successfully launched on Kickstarter in June 2017, and began selling in February 20 ...

) * Bomon Nobuko (1193-1274), daughter of Bomon Nobukiyo and wife of

* Minamoto no Yoshiko or Take no Gosho (1202–1234), daughter of second ''shōgun''

with Wakasa no Tsubone and wife of

* Hiwadahime (1230–1247), daughter of

Hojo Tokiuji Hojo or Hōjō may refer to: Hojo or HoJo: *Howard Johnson's, a U.S. chain of restaurants and hotels *A nickname for Howard Johnson *A nickname for Howard Jones *A nickname for Howard Jones *MGR-1 Honest John, the first nuclear-capable missile ...

and wife of

Kujo Yoritsugu Kujo is an American outdoor footwear company specializing in shoes made for yard work. The company is based out of Cleveland, Ohio. History Kujo successfully launched on Kickstarter in June 2017, and began selling in February 2018. The nam ...

* Konoe Saiko (b. 1241), daughter of

Konoe Kanetsune , son of Konoe Iezane, Iezane, was a ''Kugyō'' or Japanese court noble of the early Kamakura period. He held regent positions as follows: * Sesshō and Kampaku, sesshō (1237–1242) * Sesshō and Kampaku, kampaku (1242) * Sesshō and Kampaku, se ...

, wife of

Prince Munetaka was the sixth ''shōgun'' of the Kamakura shogunate of Japan who reigned from 1252 to 1266.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Munetaka shinnō" in . He was the first son of the Emperor Go-Saga and replaced the deposed Fujiwara no Yoritsugu as ' ...

and mother of

Prince Koreyasu , also known as , was the seventh ''shōgun'' of the Kamakura shogunate of Japan.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Koreyasu shinnō" in . He was the nominal ruler controlled by the Hōjō clan regents. Prince Koreyasu was the son of Prince Mune ...

* daughter of

, wife of

Prince Hisaaki , also known as Prince Hisaakira, was the eighth ''shōgun'' of the Kamakura shogunate of Japan. He was the nominal ruler controlled by Hōjō clan regents. He was the father of his successor, Prince Morikuni. Prince Hisaaki was the son of Em ...

and mother of

Prince Morikuni was the ninth ''shōgun'' of the Kamakura shogunate of Japan. He was a son of the eighth ''shōgun'' Prince Hisaaki and was a grandson of the Emperor Go-Fukakusa. He was also a puppet ruler controlled by Hōjō Takatoki, who was the Kamakura s ...

died in 1306.

Nanbokucho period

* daughter of Kitabatake Moronaga and wife of

Prince Moriyoshi (1308 – August 12, 1335) was a Japanese prince and monk. He was the son of Emperor Go-Daigo and his consort Minamoto no Chikako. Moriyoshi was named by his father as the head abbot of the Enryaku-ji temple on Mount Hiei. Go-Daigo attempted t ...

Muromachi period

* Akahashi Toshi (1306–1365), wife of

Ashikaga Takauji was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate."Ashikaga Takauji" in ''The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th edn., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 625. His rule began in 1338, beginning the Muromac ...

and mother of

Ashikaga Yoshiakira was the second ''shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate who reigned from 1358 to 1367 during the Muromachi period of Japan. Yoshiakira was the son of the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Muromachi shogunate, Ashikaga Takauji. His mother was ...

* Shibukawa Koshi (1332–1392), daughter of

Shibukawa Yoshisue is a city in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 76,098 in 32,439 households, and a population density of . The total area of the city is . Shibukawa is the location of Ikaho Onsen, a popular hot spring resort. ...

and wife of

* Hino Nariko (1351–1405), wife of

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was the third ''shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate, ruling from 1368 to 1394 during the Muromachi period of Japan. Yoshimitsu was Ashikaga Yoshiakira's third son but the oldest son to survive, his childhood name being Haruō (). Yoshimitsu was ...

and daughter of

Hino Tokimitsu Hino may refer to: Places Estonia * Hino, Põlva County * Hino, Võru County ** Lake Hino Japan * Hino, Shiga * Hino, Tokyo * Hino, Tottori ** Hino District, Tottori ** Hino River Transportation * Hino Motors, a Japanese truck manufacturer o ...

* Hino Eiko (1390–1431), wife of

Ashikaga Yoshimochi was the fourth ''shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate who reigned from 1394 to 1423 during the Muromachi period of Japan. Yoshimochi was the son of the third ''shōgun'' Ashikaga Yoshimitsu.Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). Succession and rule In 1394, ...

, daughter of Hino Motoyasu and mother of

Ashikaga Yoshikazu was the fifth ''shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate who reigned from 1423 to 1425 during the Muromachi period of Japan. Yoshikazu was the son of the fourth ''shōgun'' Ashikaga Yoshimochi. Yoshimochi ceded power to his son, and Yoshikazu became ...

* Hino Muneko (d. 1447), wife of

Ashikaga Yoshinori was the sixth ''shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate who reigned from 1429 to 1441 during the Muromachi period of Japan. Yoshinori was the son of the third ''shōgun'' Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). His childhood name was Harutor ...

and daughter of Hino Shigemitsu *

Hino Tomiko was a prominent figure during the Muromachi period and the beginning of the Sengoku period. She was daughter to Hino Shigemasa and was the official wife of Ashikaga Yoshimasa, the eighth ''shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate (at first Tomiko wa ...

, wife of

Ashikaga Yoshimasa Ashikaga (足利) may refer to: * Ashikaga clan (足利氏 ''Ashikaga-shi''), a Japanese samurai clan descended from the Minamoto clan; and that formed the basis of the eponymous shogunate ** Ashikaga shogunate (足利幕府 ''Ashikaga bakufu''), a ...

, daughter of Hino Shigemasa and mother of

Ashikaga Yoshihisa was the 9th ''shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate who reigned from 1473 to 1489 during the Muromachi period of Japan.Ackroyd, Joyce. (1982) ''Lessons from History: The Tokushi Yoron'', p. 331. Yoshihisa was the son of the eighth ''shōgun'' Ashi ...

* Shōun'in, wife of

and daughter of Hino Katsumitsu * Seiyun'in, daughter of

Hosokawa Shigeyuki Hosokawa (typically ja, 細川, meaning "narrow river" or "little river") is a Japanese surname. People with the name include: *Bill Hosokawa (1915–2007), Japanese American author and journalist *Chieko Hosokawa (born 1929), a Japanese manga a ...

and wife of

Ashikaga Yoshitane , also known as , was the 10th ''shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate who headed the shogunate first from 1490 to 1493 and then again from 1508 to 1521 during the Muromachi period of Japan. Yoshitane was the son of Ashikaga Yoshimi and grandson o ...

* Hino Akiko, daughter of Hino Nagatoshi, wife of

Ashikaga Yoshizumi was the 11th ''shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate who reigned from 1494 to 1508 during the Muromachi period of Japan. He was the son of Ashikaga Masatomo and grandson of the sixth ''shōgun'' Ashikaga Yoshinori.Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). His ch ...

and mother of

Ashikaga Yoshiharu was the twelfth ''shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate from 1521 through 1546 during the late Muromachi period of Japan.Ackroyd, Joyce. (1982). ''Lessons from History: The Tokushi Yoron'', p. 332. He was the son of the eleventh ''shōgun'' Ashi ...

* Keijuin (1514–1565), daughter of

Konoe Hisamichi , son of Konoe Masaie, Masaie, was a ''kugyō'' or Japanese court noble of the Muromachi period (1336–1573). He held a regent position kampaku from 1493 to 1497 and from 1513 to 1514. Konoe Taneie, Taneie was his son. A daughter of his was a con ...

, wife of

and mother of

Ashikaga Yoshiteru , also known as Yoshifushi or Yoshifuji, was the 13th ''shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate who reigned from 1546 to 1565 during the late Muromachi period of Japan. He was the eldest son of the 12th ''shōgun'', Ashikaga Yoshiharu, and his mother ...

and

Ashikaga Yoshiaki "Ashikaga Yoshiaki" in ''The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th edn., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 625. was the 15th and final ''shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate in Japan who reigned from 1568 to 1573.Ackroyd, J ...

* daughter of

Konoe Taneie , son of Hisamichi, was a ''kugyō'' or Japanese court noble of the late Muromachi period (1336–1573). He held a regent position kampaku from 1525 to 1533 and from 1536 to 1542. Sakihisa was his son. He had a daughter, Keifukuin Kaoku Gyokue ...

and wife of

* Yuki no Tsubone, wife of

Ashikaga Yoshihide was the 14th ''shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate who held nominal power for a few months in 1568 during the Muromachi period of Japan. When he became ''shōgun'', he changed his name to Yoshinaga, but he is more conventionally recognized toda ...

Edo period

Oeyo , , or : 1573 – September 15, 1626) was a prominently-placed female figure in the Azuchi–Momoyama period and early Edo period. She was daughter of Oichi and the sister of Yodo-dono and Ohatsu. When she rose to higher political status during ...

, daughter of

Azai Nagamasa was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Sengoku period known as the brother-in-law and enemy of Oda Nobunaga. Nagamasa was head of the Azai clan seated at Odani Castle in northern Ōmi Province and married Nobunaga's sister Oichi in 1564, fathering h ...

, wife of

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 ...

and mother of

Tokugawa Iemitsu Tokugawa Iemitsu (徳川家光, August 12, 1604 – June 8, 1651) was the third ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Hidetada with Oeyo, and the grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Lady Kasuga was his wet nurse, who a ...

* Takatsukasa Takako (1622–1683) later Honriin, wife of

and daughter of

Takatsukasa Nobufusa was a court noble (''kuge'') of the early Edo period. Born to Nijō Haruyoshi and adopted by Takatsukasa Tadafuyu, he revived the lineage of the Takatsukasa family. In 1606 he was appointed Kampaku, a regent position which he left two years late ...

* Asa no Miya Akiko (1640–1676) later Koke'in, wife of

Tokugawa Ietsuna was the fourth ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty of Japan who was in office from 1651 to 1680. He is considered the eldest son of Tokugawa Iemitsu, which makes him the grandson of Tokugawa Hidetada and the great-grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. E ...

and daughter of

Fushimi no Miya Sadakiyo Fushimi may refer to: *Emperor Fushimi of Japan *Fushimi, Kyoto, a ward of Kyoto city *Fushimi, Nagoya, a neighbourhood in Nagoya *Fushimi (surname), a Japanese surname *Fushimi-no-miya, a branch of the Japanese Imperial Family {{disambiguation, g ...

* Takatsukasa Nobuko (1651–1709) later Tenjoin, wife of

Tokugawa Tsunayoshi was the fifth ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty of Japan. He was the younger brother of Tokugawa Ietsuna, as well as the son of Tokugawa Iemitsu, the grandson of Tokugawa Hidetada, and the great-grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu.Nussbaum, Louis-Fr ...

and daughter of

Takatsukasa Norihira , son of Nobuhisa, was a '' kugyo'' or Japanese court noble of the early Edo period (1603–1868). He did not hold regent positions kampaku and sessho. The regent Takatsukasa Fusasuke was his son. His other son Kujō Kaneharu was adopted by t ...

* Konoe Hiroko (1666–1741) later Ten-ei'in, wife of

Tokugawa Ienobu (June 11, 1662 – November 12, 1712) was the sixth ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty of Japan. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Tsunashige, thus making him the nephew of Tokugawa Ietsuna and Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, the grandson of Tokugawa Iemi ...

and daughter of

Konoe Motohiro , Tajimaru (多治丸) in his childhood, was a '' kugyō'' or Japanese court noble of the Edo period (1603–1868). He held a regent position kampaku from 1690 to 1703. Early life He was a son of regent Konoe Hisatsugu and a concubine. Motohiro ...

* Yasonomiya Yoshiko Naishinno later Jorin'in-no-Miya (1714-1758), wife of

Tokugawa Ietsugu Tokugawa Ietsugu; 徳川家継 (August 8, 1709 – June 19, 1716) was the seventh ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty, who ruled from 1713 until his death in 1716. He was the son of Tokugawa Ienobu, thus making him the grandson of Tokugawa Tsuna ...

and daughter of

Emperor Reigen was the 112th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 霊元天皇 (112)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession.Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', pp. 117. Reigen's reign spanned t ...

* Iso no Miya Tomoko later Haisen'in (1738–1771), wife of

Tokugawa Ieharu Tokugawa Ieharu (徳川家治) (June 20, 1737 – September 17, 1786) was the tenth ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, who held office from 1760 to 1786. His childhood name was Takechiyo (竹千代). Ieharu died in 1786 and given t ...

and daughter of Kan'in no Miya Naohito Shinno * Shimazu no Shigehime or Tadakohime (1773–1844) later Kodai-in, wife of

Tokugawa Ienari Tokugawa Ienari ( ja, 徳川家斉, November 18, 1773 – March 22, 1841) was the eleventh and longest-serving ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan who held office from 1787 to 1837.Hall, John Whitney ''et al.'' (1991) ''Early Modern J ...

and daughter of Shimazu Shigehide of

Satsuma Domain The , briefly known as the , was a domain (''han'') of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan during the Edo period from 1602 to 1871. The Satsuma Domain was based at Kagoshima Castle in Satsuma Province, the core of the modern city of Kagoshima, ...

* Arisugawa Takako (1795–1840) later Jokan-in, wife of

Tokugawa Ieyoshi was the 12th ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan.Hall, John Whitney ''et al.'' (1991) ''Early Modern Japan',' p. 21./ref> Biography Ieyoshi was born as the second son of the 11th ''shōgun'', Tokugawa Ienari and named Toshijirō (敏 ...

and daughter of Prince Arisugawa Orihito * Shimazu Atsuhime or Fujiwara no Sumiko, later Tenshoin, wife of

Tokugawa Iesada was the 13th ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. He held office for five years from 1853 to 1858. He was physically weak and was therefore considered by later historians to have been unfit to be ''shōgun''. His reign marks the begin ...

and daughter of Shimazu Tadatake (1806-1854), adopted daughter of

Shimazu Nariakira was a Japanese feudal lord (''daimyō'') of the Edo period, the 28th in the line of Shimazu clan lords of Satsuma Domain. He was renowned as an intelligent and wise lord, and was greatly interested in Western learning and technology. He was e ...

and

Konoe Tadahiro Prince Senior first rank , son of Motosaki, was a ''kugyō'' or Japanese court noble of the late Edo period (1603–1868). He held a regent position kampaku from 1862 to 1863. His consort was Shimazu Kyoko, an adopted daughter of Shimazu Narioki ...

Chikako, Princess Kazu (''Kazunomiya'') was the wife of 14th ''shōgun'' Tokugawa Iemochi. She was renamed Lady Seikan'in-no-miya after she took the tonsure as a widow. She was the great-great-great aunt of Emperor Akihito, who reigned from 1989 to 2019. Biography ...

, later Seikan'in-no-miya, wife of

Tokugawa Iemochi (July 17, 1846 – August 29, 1866) was the 14th ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, who held office from 1858 to 1866. During his reign there was much internal turmoil as a result of the "re-opening" of Japan to western nations. ...

and daughter of

Emperor Ninkō was the 120th Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 仁孝天皇 (120)/ref> Ninkō's reign spanned the years from 1817 until his death in 1846, and saw further deteriorati ...

The first Midaidokoro in this period was wife of the second ''shōgun'',

, because when the

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 fellow ...

became ''shōgun'' his wives had already died so there was no Midaidokoro at that time. When

Tokugawa Yoshimune was the eighth ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, ruling from 1716 until his abdication in 1745. He was the son of Tokugawa Mitsusada, the grandson of Tokugawa Yorinobu, and the great-grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Lineage Yoshimune ...

's time came he didn't have Midaidokoro either because his wife had died before he became ''shōgun''. Also when

Tokugawa Ieshige Tokugawa Ieshige; 徳川家重 (January 28, 1712 – July 13, 1761) was the ninth ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. The first son of Tokugawa Yoshimune, his mother was the daughter of Ōkubo Tadanao, known as Osuma no kata. ...

's time, his wife already died. At

Tokugawa Yoshinobu Prince was the 15th and last ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. He was part of a movement which aimed to reform the aging shogunate, but was ultimately unsuccessful. He resigned of his position as shogun in late 1867, while aiming ...

's time he and his wife doesn't enter

Edo castle is a flatland castle that was built in 1457 by Ōta Dōkan in Edo, Toshima District, Musashi Province. In modern times it is part of the Tokyo Imperial Palace in Chiyoda, Tokyo and is therefore also known as . Tokugawa Ieyasu established the ...

but they entered Nijo castle so his wife was called "Gorenju".

References

Marriage, unions and partnerships in Japan Japanese historical terms Feudal Japan Japanese words and phrases Wives of national leaders {{japan-hist-stub

Heian period

Kamakura period

Nanbokucho period

Muromachi period

Edo period

See also

References