Tsumaki Hiroko (妻木煕子, 1530 - November 27, 1576) was a Japanese noble woman from the Sengoku Period. She is also known as Omaki-no-kata, Omaki and Fuseya-hime, with her real name uncertain. The name Hiroko probably originated from her father's name Tsumaki Norihiro. She was the wife of

Akechi Mitsuhide , first called Jūbei from his clan and later from his title, was a Japanese ''samurai'' general of the Sengoku period best known as the assassin of Oda Nobunaga. Mitsuhide was a bodyguard of Ashikaga Yoshiaki and later a successful general under ...

, a prominent general of the

Oda clan The is a Japanese samurai family who were daimyo and an important political force in the unification of Japan in the mid-16th century. Though they had the climax of their fame under Oda Nobunaga and fell from the spotlight soon after, several ...

, and the mother of

Hosokawa Gracia Akechi Tama, usually referred to as , (1563 – 25 August 1600) was a member of the aristocratic Akechi family from the Sengoku period. Gracia is best known for her role in the Battle of Sekigahara, she was considered to be a political host ...

, a famous Christian convert. She played a pivotal role in Mitsuhide's early career and in stabilizing the

Akechi clan The is a branch of the Toki clan, which is descended from the Seiwa Genji. The Akechi clan thrived around the later part of the Sengoku period of the 16th century. The Akechi became the head, soryo of the Toki after the Toki fell to the Saitō c ...

, which would later be responsible for one of the most impactful events in Japanese history: the murder of

Oda Nobunaga was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period. He is regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan. Nobunaga was head of the very powerful Oda clan, and launched a war against other ''daimyō'' to unify ...

in the Honnoji Incident. Hiroko was the subject of a

haiku is a type of short form poetry originally from Japan. Traditional Japanese haiku consist of three phrases that contain a ''kireji'', or "cutting word", 17 '' on'' (phonetic units similar to syllables) in a 5, 7, 5 pattern, and a ''kigo'', or se ...

Matsuo Bashō born then was the most famous poet of the Edo period in Japan. During his lifetime, Bashō was recognized for his works in the collaborative '' haikai no renga'' form; today, after centuries of commentary, he is recognized as the greatest ma ...

, which reads "Tsuki sabi yo / Akechi ga tsuma no / hanashisen" ("Moon be sad / of the wife of Akechi / let us speak"). The sadness could be a reference to the common story that Hiroko died as a result of nursing her husband through a serious disease, which she herself then caught. However, since Japanese commentaries on the poem do not mention her death, the sadness seems to instead from the sacrifice of her own personal dreams which was required to support her husband.

Life

Tsumaki Hiroko born as the daughter of Tsumaki Norihiro, castellan of Tsumaki Castle. While the date of her birth is unknown, based on one theory, she was born as the eldest daughter around 1530. She betrothed Akechi Mitsuhide in 1545. However, she later had smallpox and her entire body remained pockmarked. It is said that her father Norihiro sent her sister, who was very much like Hiroko, to Mitushide disguised as Hiroko, but Mitsuhide found out and rejected her, preferring to marry Hiroko. During her marriage she gave birth to

, a Christian convert who became a popular figure in Japanese history. Hiroko was a determined woman who actively engaged in helping the Akechi clan. Her devotion to her family was immortalized in stories, paintings and popular culture. In 1556, Mitsuhide supported

Saitō Dōsan , also known as Saitō Toshimasa (斎藤利政), was a Japanese samurai during the Sengoku period. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"Saitō Dōsan"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 809. He was also known as the for his ruthless tactics. His hono ...

at the

Battle of Nagaragawa The was a battle that took place along the banks of the Nagara River in Mino Province in April 1556. The site of the battle is in present-day Gifu, Gifu, Gifu city, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It was a battle between Saitō Dōsan and his son, Saitō ...

. There is an anecdote that, after

Saitō Yoshitatsu or Toki Yoshitatsu was a Japanese samurai during the Sengoku period. Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003).html" ;"title="DF 54 of 80">"Saitō," ''Nobiliare du Japon'', ...

(the eldest son of Dōsan who was in an internal conflict with him) toppled Akechi Castle, Mitsuhide carried a pregnant Hiroko on his back while fleeing to

Echizen Province was a province of Japan in the area that is today the northern portion of Fukui Prefecture in the Hokuriku region of Japan. Echizen bordered on Kaga, Wakasa, Hida, and Ōmi Provinces. It was part of Hokurikudō Circuit. Its abbreviated form ...

. When Mitsuhide and Hiroko fled to Echizen, they asked to serve

Asakura Yoshikage was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Sengoku period (1467–1603) who ruled a part of Echizen Province in present-day Fukui Prefecture. He was a regent of Ashikaga Shogunate. Yoshikage's conflicts with Oda Nobunaga (1534–1582) resulted in his deat ...

. Despite going through difficult times, Mitsuhide organized a renga (linked verse poetry) event. Hiroko was aware of the struggles Mitsuhide faced in preparing for the feast and sold her own black hair to cover expenses. Hiroko's relationship with Mitsuhide was genuine, he refused any offer to have a concubine. This relationship has proven strong since she helped Mitsuhide through his hard days - the surrender of the homeland castle, the ronin (masterless) life, serving the

Asakura clan The is a Japanese kin group. Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003).html" ;"title="DF 7 of 80">"Asakura", ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 3 DF_7_of_80">"Asa_...

,_the_

DF_7_of_80">"Asa_...

,_the_Ashikaga_clan">DF_7_of_80/nowiki>">DF_7_of_80">"Asa_...

Life

__Death_

Death

References