Oeyo

, , or : 1573 – September 15, 1626) was a noblewoman in Japan's Azuchi–Momoyama period and early Edo period. She was a daughter of Oichi and the sister of Yodo-dono and Ohatsu. When she rose to higher political status during the Tokugawa shogunate, she took the title of "Ōmidaidokoro". Following the fall of the Council of Five Elders, Oeyo and her sisters were key figures in maintaining a diplomatic relationship between the two most powerful clans of their time, Toyotomi and Tokugawa. Due to her great contributions to politics at the beginning of the Edo period she was posthumously inducted into the Junior First Rank of the Imperial Court, the second highest honor that could be conferred by the Emperor of Japan. Through her daughter, Tokugawa Masako, she was the maternal grandmother of the Empress Meishō.

Oeyo married three times, first to Saji Kazunari, her cousin, then to Toyotomi Hideyoshi's nephew, Toyotomi Hidekatsu. She had a daughter with Hidekatsu named Toyotomi Sadako, who later married Kujō Yukiie. Her third and last husband Tokugawa Hidetada became the second Tokugawa shōgun. Hatsuhime was adopted by Oeyo's sister Ohatsu, who was married to Kyōgoku Takatsugu.

Surviving record books from merchants of luxury goods provide insight into patterns of patronage and taste amongst the privileged class of women like Oeyo and her sisters.

Genealogy Oeyo, also known as Ogō, was the third and youngest daughter of the Sengoku-period daimyō Azai Nagamasa. Her mother, Oichi was the younger sister of Oda Nobunaga. Toyotomi Hideyoshi became the adoptive father and protector of Oeyo in the period before her marriage.

Oeyo's oldest sister, styled Yodo-dono, Cha-Cha in birth name, was a prominent concubine of Hideyoshi who gave birth to his heir, Toyotomi Hideyori.

Honours Junior First Rank (November 28, 1626; posthumous)

Taiga drama NHK's 2011 Taiga drama, Gō: Himetachi no Sengoku, is based on the life of Oeyo who is played by the actress Juri Ueno.

Notable descendants Together with Odai no Kata (Ieyasu's mother) and Lady Saigo (mother of Hidetada), Oeyo was the matriarch who stabilized the Tokugawa shogunate. Her descendants became shoguns, aristocrats and other prominent political figures. It is speculated that her son, Iemitsu, was the last direct male descendant of Tokugawa Ieyasu, thus ending the patrilineality of the shogunate for the third generation. Toyotomi Sadako - daughter, married Kujo Yukiie Matsudono Michiaki (1616–1646) Nijō Yasumichi Nijō Mitsuhira Kujō Michifusa a daughter, married Kujō Kaneharu Kujō Sukezane Kujō Morotaka Zuisho-in, married Tokugawa Yoshimichi Tokugawa Gorōta Kujō Yukinori Kujō Tanemoto Kujō Naozane Kujō Michisaki Kujō Sukeie Nijō Munemoto Nijō Shigeyori (1751–1768) Nijō Harutaka Nijō Narimichi (1781–1798) Kujō Suketsugu Saionji a daughter, married Tokugawa Nariatsu a daughter, married Matsudaira Yoritsugu of Hitachi-Fuchū Domain Kujō Hisatada Kujō Asako, consort to Emperor Kōmei Imperial Princess Yoriko Naishinnō Imperial Princess Fuku Michitaka Matsuzono Hisayoshi Tsurudono Tadayoshi Takatsukasa Hiromichi Nobusuke Takatsukasa Toshimichi Takatsukasa Takatsukasa Nobuhiro (1892–1981) Nijō Motohiro Nijō Atsumoto Nijō Narinobu Nijō Nariyuki Nijō Masamaro Nijō Toyomoto (1909–1944) Nijō Tamemoto (1911–1985) Nijō Suiko married Nabeshima Naotomo Nabeshima Naotada Tokugawa Masako - daughter, married Emperor Go-Mizunoo Empress Meishō Imperial Prince Takahito Shinno (1626–1628) Imperial Princess On'nani no Miya Naishinno (1625–1651) Wakamiya Kikumiya Imperial Princess Akiko no Miya Naishinno (1629–1675) Imperial Princess Noriko no Miya Naishinno (1632–1696) Katsuhime - daughter, married Matsudaira Tadanao Matsudaira Mitsunaga (1616–1707) of Takada Domain Matsudaira Tsunakata (1633–1674) Kamehime (1617–1681), married Takamatsu no Miya Yoshihito-Shinno, son of Emperor Go-Yōzei Tsuruhime (1618–1671), married Kujō Michifusa Third daughter married Asano Tsunaakira Fifth daughter married Asano Tsunaakira First daughter married Kujō Kaneharu Kujō Sukezane Zuisho-in married Tokugawa Yoshimichi Tokugawa Gorota Kujō Morotaka Kujō Yukinori Kujō Tanemoto Nijō Munemoto Nijō Shigeyori (1751–1768) Nijō Harutaka Kujō Hisatada Matsuzono Hisayoshi Tsurudono Tadayoshi Takatsukasa Hiromichi Takatsukasa Nobuhiro Nobusuke Takatsukasa Toshimichi Takatsukasa Nijō Motohiro Nijō Atsumoto Empress Eishō Imperial Princess Yoriko Naishinnō Imperial Princess Fuko Kujo Michitaka Empress Teimei Nobuhito, Prince Takamatsu Yasuhito, Prince Chichibu Takahito, Prince Mikasa Prince Tomohito of Mikasa Princess Yoko of Mikasa Princess Akiko of Mikasa Princess Yasuko of Mikasa Tadahiro Konoe (b. 1970) Yoshihito, Prince Katsura Norihito, Prince Takamado Princess Tsuguko of Takamado Princess Noriko of Takamado Princess Ayako of Takamado Princess Masako of Mikasa Akifumi Sen Makiko Sen Takafumi Sen Hirohito, Emperor Showa Akihito, Emperor of Japan Sayako, Princess Nori Fumihito, Prince Akishino Princess Mako of Akishino Princess Kako of Akishino Prince Hisahito of Akishino Naruhito, Emperor of Japan Aiko, Princess Toshi Takako, Princess Suga Yoshihisa Shimazu (b. 1962) Masahito, Prince Hitachi Atsuko, Princess Yori Kazuko, Princess Taka Sachiko, Princess Hisa Shigeko, Princess Teru Mibu Motohiro (b. 1949) Princess Fumiko of Higashikuni (b. 1946) Princess Yuko of Higashikuni (b. 1954) Prince Naohiko Higashikuni Prince Teruhiko Higashikuni Prince Mutsuhiko Higashikuni Prince Nobuhiko Higashikuni (b. 1945) Prince Yukihiko Higashikuni (b. 1974) Nijō Narimichi (1781–1798) Sainjo Kujō Suketsugu Nijō Suiko, married Nabeshima Naotomo Nabeshima Naotada Nijō Narinobu Nijō Nariyuki Nijō Masamaro Nijo Toyomoto (1909–1944) Nijo Tamemoto (1911–1985) Kujō Naozane Kujō Michisaki Kujō Sukeie Senhime – daughter, married Toyotomi Hideyori, and later Honda Tadatoki Kochiyo (1619–1621) Katsuhime (1618–1678), married Ikeda Mitsumasa Tsuhime (1636–1717), married Ichijō Norisuke Ichijō Kaneteru Ikeda Tsunamasa Ikeda Tsugumasa Ikeda Munemasa Ikeda Harumasa (1750–1819) Ikeda Narimasa (1779–1833) Sagara Nagahiro (1752–1813) Sagara Yorinori (1774–1856) Sagara Yoriyuki (1798–1850) Ikeda Akimasa (1836–1903) Ikeda Narimasa (1865–1909) Ikeda Tadamasa (1895–1902) Ikeda Nobumasa (1904–1988) Ikeda Takamasa (1926–2012), married Atsuko Ikeda Tamahime - daughter, married Maeda Toshitsune Maeda Toshitsugu Maeda Masatoshi (1649–1706) Manhime (1618–1700), married Asano Mitsuakira Asano Naganao (1644–1666) Asano Nagateru (1652–1702) Asano Tsunaakira Asano Tsunanaga Asano Yoshinaga Asano Munetsune Asano Shigeakira Asano Narikata Asano Naritaka Asano Yoshiteru Asano Nagatoshi Asano Nagamichi Asano Toshitsugu Asano Nagayuki Asano Nagatake Asano Nagayoshi Asano Nagataka (b. 1956) Asano Toshiteru Asano Nagakoto Komatsuruhime (1613–1630), married Mōri Tadahiro Tomi-hime (1621–1662) Maeda Mitsutaka Maeda Tsunanori Maeda Toshiaki (1691–1737) Maeda Toshimichi (1737–1781) Maeda Toshitoyo (1771–1836) Maeda Toshihiro (1823–1877) Maeda Toshiaki (1850–1896) Toshinari Maeda Maeda Toshitatsu (1908–1989) Maeda Toshihiri (b. 1935) Maeda Toshitaka (b. 1963) Maeda Toshikyo (b. 1993) Maeda Yoshinori Maeda Munetoki Maeda Shigehiro Maeda Shigenobu Maeda Harunaga Maeda Shigemichi Maeda Narinaga Maeda Nariyasu Maeda Yoshiyasu Yoshitsugu Maeda (1858–1900) Tokugawa Iemitsu - son, married Takatsukasa Takako, plus eight concubines Chiyohime- daughter, married Tokugawa Mitsutomo Tokugawa Tsunanari Matsudaira Yoshitaka Tokugawa Tsugutomo Matsuhime, married Maeda Yoshinori Tokugawa Muneharu Tokugawa Yoshimichi Tokugawa Gorōta Shinjuin (1706–1757), married Kujō Yukinori Kujō Tanemoto Nijō Munemoto Nijō Shigeyoshi (1751–1768) Nijō Harutaka Nijō Suiko, married Nabeshima Naotomo Nabeshima Naotada Nijo Narimichi Saionji Kujō Suketsugu Nijō Narinobu Nijō Nariyuki Nijō Masamaro Nijō Tamemoto (1911–1985) Nijō Toyomoto (1909–1944) Kujo Hisatada Empress Eishō Imperial Princess Yoriko Naishinnō Imperial Princess Fuko Kujō Michitaka Takatsukasa Hiromichi Nobusuke Takatsukasa Toshimichi Takatsukasa Takatsukasa Nobuhiro (1892–1981) Nijō Motohiro Nijō Atsumoto Tsurudono Tadayoshi Matsuzono Hisayoshi Tokugawa Ietsuna - son, married Aso no miya Akiko, plus 12 concubines Moyohime (1659–1660) Tokugawa Tsunayoshi (1659–1660) Tokugawa Tsunayoshi - son, married Takatsukasa Nobuko, plus four concubines Tokugawa Tokumatsu (1679–1683) Tokugawa Chomatsu (1683–1686) Tsuruhime (1677–1704) Tokugawa Tsunashige - son, married Ryuso-in, plus two concubines Matsudaira Kiyotake (1663–1724) Matsudaira Kiyokata (1697-1724) Tokugawa Ienobu Tokugawa Ietsugu Tokugawa Daigoro (1709–1710) Tokugawa Iechiyo (1707–1707) Tokugawa Torakichi (1711–1712) Toyo-hime (1681–1681) Tokugawa Mugetsuin (1699–1699)