Yodo-dono

Yodo-dono

Yodo-dono (淀殿) or Yodogimi (淀君) (1569 – June 4, 1615) was a prominently placed figure in late-Sengoku period. She was a concubine and second wife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who was then the most powerful man in Japan. She also became the mother of his son and successor, Hideyori. She was also known as Lady Chacha (茶々). After the death of Hideyoshi, she took the tonsure, becoming a Buddhist nun and taking the name Daikōin (大広院).

The great wealth and changing fortunes of her husband and son affected Yodo-dono's life as well. Surviving record books from luxury goods merchants provide insight into patterns of patronage and taste amongst the privileged class of women like Yodo-dono and her sisters.[1]

Genealogy

Yodo-dono, also called Chacha (茶々) in her youth, was the eldest of three daughters of the Sengoku period daimyo, Azai Nagamasa. Her mother, Oichi was the younger sister of Oda Nobunaga.[2]

After Nagamasa's death, Toyotomi Hideyoshi became the adoptive father and protector of Chacha.[3] Her status changed when she became his concubine. Her status and her name were changed again when Yodo-dono became the mother of a male heir for the aging Taiko.

Yodo-dono's middle sister, Ohatsu, was the wife of Kyōgoku Takatsugu and the mother of Kyōgoku Tadataka.[2]

Yodo-dono's youngest sister, Oeyo, also known as Ogō, was the principal wife of Shogun Tokugawa Hidetada and the mother of his successor Tokugawa Iemitsu.[2]

Early years

In 1570, Chacha's father, Nagamasa, broke his alliance with Oda Nobunaga and there was a three-year period of fighting until 1573 when Nobunaga's army surrounded Nagamasa at Odani Castle. Nobunaga, however, requested the safe return of his sister, Oichi. Chacha, along with her mother and her two sisters, left the castle with her. Odani castle fell, and amongst those who died were Nagamasa and Manpukumaru, Chacha's only brother.

Nobunaga's death in 1582 caused open hostilities between Shibata Katsuie and Hashiba Hideyoshi over the issue of succession. Katsuie's forces were defeated at the Battle of Shizugatake, and he was forced retreat to Kitanosho castle. With Hideyoshi's army laying siege to his home, Katsuie set the castle ablaze; he and Oichi perished in it.

However, before Oichi died, she passed Chacha, Oeyo, and Ohatsu to the care and protection of Hideyoshi.

Concubine of Hideyoshi

Yodo-dono became Hideyoshi's concubine and soon moved to Yodo Castle (from which she took her title). Hideyoshi's wife, Nene, was said to have been unable to conceive; and thus Lady Yodo inherited many of her privileges. She had two sons with Hideyoshi, Tsurumatsu, who died young, and Hideyori, born in 1593, who became Hideyoshi's designated successor. Hideyoshi was also the enemy of her parents, first her father, then her step-father and mother.

In 1594, the family moved to Fushimi Castle, but tragedy befell when Hideyoshi died in 1598 and the Toyotomi clan lost much of its influence and importance. Yodo-dono moved to Osaka Castle with her son Hideyori and plotted the restoration of the Toyotomi clan.

Tokugawa Ieyasu, who seized control from Hideyori after the death of his father, now viewed Hideyori as an obstacle to his unification of Japan. He laid siege to Osaka Castle in 1614, but the attack fell through, and subsequently he signed a truce with Hideyori.

However, in 1615, Ieyasu broke the truce and once again attacked Osaka Castle, and this time he succeeded. Yodo-dono and her son Hideyori committed suicide, thus ending the Toyotomi legacy.

Cultural references

Nakamura Utaemon V as Yodo-gimi in the kabuki play Hototogisu Kojō no Rakugetsu

A fictional character based on Yodo-dono appears in James Clavell's Shōgun. This contrived protagonist is Lady Ochiba, who dislikes Toranaga (Tokugawa Ieyasu) because he presumably suspected her son was not fathered by the Taikō (Toyotomi Hideyoshi). However, she admires and trusts the Taikō's widow, Yodoko (Nene), who urges both her and Toranaga to marry so that Japan would remain united, and when the heir, Yaemon (Toyotomi Hideyori) comes of age, he can safely take control. In James Clavell's later novels it is revealed that, just as in real history, Toranaga eventually besieged Ochiba and Yaemon in their castle, prompting them to commit suicide.

She also appears in Capcom's most recent addition of the Onimusha series, Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams, as Toyotomi Hideyoshi's concubine and sister to playable character Ohatsu, who affectionately calls Yodo by her childhood name, "Cha-Cha". She was transformed into the Genma Mother Tree, and was replaced by Ophelia, who took on her form. Ophelia, the Genma High Priestess, is a member of the Genma Triumvirate, whose ultimate goal is to resurrect the Genma/Demon God of Light Fortinbras by using Hideyoshi as his vessel. Yodo was rescued by Soki and his friends, and she fled Fushimi Castle. At the end of the game, it is seen that Yodo now lives with her sister Ohatsu.

In the current 2011 Taiga drama, Gō: Hime-tachi no Sengoku, Cha-cha is portrayed by Japanese actress Rie Miyazawa.[4] In the drama series Nobunaga no Chef (2013) - Episode 5, Chacha makes her appearance as a child by her parents' side. A great part of this episode revolves around her and the fact that she would not eat meat. Out of her mother's concern, the main character of this series is asked (or rather forced, else he would face death) to make a dish that will make Chacha like meat.

In Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Gaim & Wizard: The Fateful Sengoku Movie Battle, Cha-Cha appears in Gaim's portion of the film, in the World of the Sengoku Period. She appears alongside Hideyoshi, who acts as the warlord of the Double Army. When Bujin Double is killed by Bujin Gaim and the Nephenthes Inhumanoid (assisted by Takatora Kureshima/Armored Rider Zangetsu who mistakes Bujin Gaim for his world's Gaim), Hideyoshi prepares to fight them but Cha-cha forces him to decide whether he cares about her or the war. He chooses her and picks her up, retreating from the battle. She is portrayed by Hikaru Yamamoto who previously portrayed Akiko Narumi (who Cha-cha's personality is similar to) in Kamen Rider W.

In the 2009 film Goemon (五右衛門), Cha-Cha is portrayed by Ryōko Hirosue, being depicted as being in love with Ishikawa Goemon (the equivalent of Robin Hood or Ned Kelly), but is eventually forced to marry Hideyoshi. Goemon attempts to save Cha-Cha to no avail, dying in the attempt.

She will appears as a playable character on upcoming Samurai Warriors Spin-off, Samurai Warriors: Sanada Maru

Notes

  1. ↑ Hickman, Money L. et al. (2002). Japan's Golden Age: Momoyama, p. 283.
  2. 1 2 3 "The silk coloured portrait of wife of Takatsugu Kyogoku," Archived May 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Digital Cultural Properties of Wakasa Obama; Oichinokata, Gifu prefecture website.
  3. ↑ Wilson, Richard L. (1985). Ogata Kenzan (1663-1743), p. 40.
  4. ↑ "Ueno Juri's Two Older Sisters" (上野樹里の２人の姉) Archived April 13, 2010, at the Wayback Machine., Sponichi Annex; retrieved April 14, 2010.

References

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