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ELITES IN ŌOKU AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO THE TOKUGAWA BAKUFU
This section will discuss about the elites in Ōoku and argue how powerful and influential women were during the men dominated era despite how they were used as political tools. This section will focus on two women who were both principal wives of the shogun; Tenshōin and Kazunomiya.[1]
[1]Go to this link and see both portraits. Scroll down and the first is Tenshōin, and the third is Kazunomiya.
It is a link from The Tokugawa Art Museum page.
Tenshōin or Atsuhime at this time was born in Satsuma[2] under the Shimazu family and was soon brought into daimyo Shmazu Nariakira’s family as an adopted daughter.[3] Nariakira then sends Atsuhime to Konoe Tadahiro who was a court noble to be adopted once again.[4] She then married shogun Iesada. [4] There was a purpose why a girl from Satsuma ended up becoming the wife of the leader of Japan. Nariakira had always been supportive of the Hitotsubashi family to become the next shogun after Iesada, therefore needed connection to the current shogun.[4] Nariakira wanted to lead and somehow control the bakufu through his daughter Atsuhime. In this way, Atsuhime was used as a political tool by men. However, after a spending a short 2 years of marriage life with Iesada and having no children, it was not Hitotsubashi, but Iemochi who became the next shogun.
Meanwhile, Kazunomiya who was the daughter of the Emperor Ninkô and sister of Emperor Komei was requested from the bakufu that she would marry Iemochi.[4] This was a very unprecedented case because Kazunomiya was an Imperial princess. This marriage was orchestrated in order to promote a healthy relationship between the imperial family and the Tokugawa bakufu.[4] Yet, her marriage did not last long as well. After Iemochi’s death, Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu became the leader of the bakufu. Just like Atsuhime, she too was used as a political tool.
Although these women entered Ōoku pretty much without their consent, their achievement is something credible to mention. Atsuhime is said to support the problems of the shogunate’s succession, led the bakufu into muketsukaijo[5], and lastly protected the Tokugawa family even though it had meant that she would have to face the Satsuma clan (her home) as an enemy. [4] She is also said to write a letter to Saigō Takamori (Satsuma clan) to prevent them to start a war[6] with the bakufu[4]. Meanwhile, Kazunomiya had also written a letter to a close friend in the imperial court to not bring out armies against the bakufu. Both Tenshōin and Kazunomiya did not choose their life to be like this, however, performed their duty with honor as leaders of Ōoku and as people of the Tokugawa clan. Atsuhime did not even bear a child and is said to support Ōoku throughout her lifetime sacrificing a “woman’s dream” of having a family.[4] Nevertheless, it is safe to say that Atsuhime and Kazunomiya left a severe impact on history as women even though they were under male domination.
[2] Now known as Kagoshima prefecture in Kyushu.
[3] Beerens, (2008) “Interview with Two Ladies of the Ōoku” pp274
[4] Haraguchi, (2009) "激動の幕末を生き抜いた天璋院篤姫”pp1-2
[5] 無血開城: This was when the Tokugawa Shogunate gave up their authority and power back to the Meiji Emperor during the Boshin war (戊辰戦争).
[6] Tried to prevent the conflict between the 旧幕府軍 and 新政府軍
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