Tokugawa Masako

, also known as Kazu-ko, was empress consort of Japan as the wife of Emperor Go-Mizunoo. Through collaboration with her parents, Oeyo and Shogun Tokugawa Hidetada, she was a prominent and influential figure within the politics and culture of the Edo Period.

History

1620 (Genna 6): Masako entered the palace as a consort of Emperor Go-Mizunoo. Although there was already a concubine for Go-Mizunoo, the marriage to Masako was celebrated with great pomp. 1624: Masako was granted the title of chūgū (中宮), indicating that she was a legitimate wife and therefore an established Empress Consort. She is the first consort to hold this title since the reign of Emperor Go-Hanazono. 1629: When the Emperor Go-Mizunoo abdicated in 1629, Masako took the title and name of .

In a rare break with tradition, Masako's daughter, Imperial Princess Onna-Ichi-no-miya Okiko, succeeded her father in her own right as Empress Meishō, albeit at the age of five. After Meishō abdicated at 19, the throne would be successively held by two of her half-brothers, who would reign as Emperor Go-Kōmyō and Emperor Go-Sai respectively. Both had been brought up by Masako as if they were her own sons.

Masako had two younger daughters; Princess Teruko (1625-1651) who married Konoe Hisatsugu, and Princess Akiko (1629-1675), also known as the Third Princess.

Achievements

Masako used her wealth to bring together the two capitals of Edo and Kyoto, as well as helping to maintain the high standards of the court. Her money was also used to restore significant buildings that had been damaged in the preceding civil wars. Many of these restorations were originally credited to her brother Iemitsu, or her husband, but have recently been properly credited to her. Masako also presented herself as a representative of the Tokugawa clan, although the high standards expected from this position may have got her into trouble. According to tradition, Masako and Lady Kasuga broke a taboo by visiting the Imperial court dressed as commoners. The event is said to have highly embarrassed Go-Mizunoo, who promptly abdicated and named Meisho as empress. It is perhaps more likely, though, that Go-Mizunoo abdicated due to the fallout over the "Purple Robe Incident", which had caused a serious political conflict between him and Tokugawa Iemitsu, the new Shogun. Whatever the actual reasons, Meishō's elevation made Iemitsu, as Masako's brother, the uncle of the sitting monarch.

Family Father: Tokugawa Hidetada (1581-1632) Mother: Oeyo (1573-1626) Husband: Emperor Go-Mizunoo (1596-1680) Children: , became Empress Meishō married Konoe Hisatsugu

married Nijō Mitsuhira

Adopted: Emperor Go-Kōmyō Emperor Go-Sai

Interests

Empress Masako was a patron of the arts. She collected antiques as well as contemporary art. She was also skilled at calligraphy and dabbled in poetry.