CONCLUSION

To sum up, although the Edo period was sorted under the ie system where there was a clear division between gender and class, not all women were living the life they were “supposed” to have in the society. Elites in Ōoku left a great impact in history and contributed to supporting the men in and outside the Tokugawa bakufu using their power even though they were women. Workers and servants too were a crucial role in supporting the shogunate and their position in Ōoku sometimes even threatened the men authorities and their decisions. Walthall in fact strongly argued that men in charge of the bakufu and Ōoku had interdependent relationships; if either side loses balance, both fall to the ground.[1] Despite the fact men and women were systematically separated, Ōoku offered opportunities for women to experience responsibility and to feel pride in their jobs.

 

 

[1] Walthall, “Ōoku: The Secret World of the Shogun’s Women” (2014) pp 290