Lady Acha or Acha no Tsubone (阿茶局, March 16, 1555 - February 16, 1637) was a Japanese noble woman from the

Sengoku period The was the period in History of Japan, Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as th ...

to the early

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

. She was a concubine of

Tokugawa Ieyasu Tokugawa Ieyasu (born Matsudaira Takechiyo; 31 January 1543 – 1 June 1616) was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was the third of the three "Gr ...

, the founder of the

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...

. Due to her intelligence, Ieyasu entrusted her with management of the family's affairs, sending her to negotiate peace during the

Siege of Osaka A siege () . is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or by well-prepared assault. Siege warfare (also called siegecrafts or poliorcetics) is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict charact ...

. Her contributions to the stabilization of the Tokugawa shogunate and service to the country were notable for the court; being inducted to the Junior First Rank of the Imperial Court the second highest honor that could be conferred by the

Emperor of Japan The emperor of Japan is the hereditary monarch and head of state of Japan. The emperor is defined by the Constitution of Japan as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, his position deriving from "the will of ...

Early life

Lady Acha's first name was Suwa. Her pseudonym was Acha no Tsubone, Minbukyo, Yegonvie, Unko-in, Kamio Ichii and Ichii no ama (first nun). Suwa was born in 1555 as daughter of Iida Naomasa who served the

Takeda clan The was a Japanese samurai clan active from the late Heian period until the late 16th century. The clan was historically based in Kai Province in present-day Yamanashi Prefecture. The clan reached its greatest influence under the rule of Taked ...

. Then she became a wife of Kamio Tadashige, a retainer of the

Imagawa clan was a Japanese samurai clan that claimed descent from the Seiwa Genji by way of the Kawachi Genji. It was a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Ashikaga clan. Origins Ashikaga Kuniuji, grandson of Ashikaga Yoshiuji, established himself in ...

. During the marriage she had two sons, after the death of her husband, she was called by Ieyasu. In May 1579, Ieyasu invited Suwa to a meeting at Hamamatsu Castle. He offered to have her join the Tokugawa family as his concubine. Suwa accepted and became a member of the Tokugawa clan, Ieyasu gave Suwa the name ''Acha no Tsubone''. She controlled the housekeeping of the Tokugawas.

In the Tokugawa clan

Under the influence of

Oda Nobunaga was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. He was the and regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan. He is sometimes referred as the "Demon Daimyō" and "Demo ...

, the ''First great unifier of Japan'', the Tokugawa clan participated in several conflicts against the Takeda clan until the last resistance of

Takeda Katsuyori was a Japanese ''daimyō'' (military lord) of the Sengoku period, who was famed as the head of the Takeda clan and the successor to the legendary warlord Takeda Shingen. He was son-in-law of Hojo Ujiyasu, ''daimyō'' of Hojo clan. Early life H ...

in the Battle of Tenmokuzan. Due to her ties to the Takeda clan, Lady Acha used her influence in the Tokugawa clan to employ former servants of Takeda. According to "Kanei shoka keizuden" and "Kansei-fu", Tsuchiya Tadanao, leader of the Tsuchiya clan, was raised by Lady Acha after he and his mother escaped to Kiyonji Temple in

Suruga Province was an Provinces of Japan, old province in the area that is today the central part of Shizuoka Prefecture. Suruga bordered on Izu Province, Izu, Kai Province, Kai, Sagami Province, Sagami, Shinano Province, Shinano, and Tōtōmi Province, Tōtōm ...

after the fall of the Takeda clan. She introduced Tadanao to Ieyasu, so he was employed and later became a page of

Tokugawa Hidetada was the second ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty, who ruled from 1605 until his abdication in 1623. He was the third son of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Early life (1579–1593) Tokugawa Hidetada was born to Tokugawa Ieyasu and the Lady Saigō on May ...

, second shogun of the Tokugawa lineage. In 1583 Lady Acha's two sons were employed as officers at a salary of 3,000 koku. Eventually, Lady Acha became more important as a retainer than as a concubine. She served Tokugawa Ieyasu in several of his military campaigns. In 1584, after Oda Nobunaga's death, the Tokugawa Army and Oda Nobukatsu's combined forces clashed with Hashiba Hideyoshi (the future Toyotomi Hideyoshi), who was the

Battle of Komaki and Nagakute The , also known as the Komaki Campaign (小牧の役 ''Komaki no Eki''), was a series of battles in 1584 between the forces of Hashiba Hideyoshi (who would become Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1586) and the forces of Oda Nobukatsu and Tokugawa Ieyasu ...

. At that time, Lady Acha accompanied the army and went to the battlefield. She was pregnant, and due to the tensions in battle she miscarried after the war and she never had a child with Ieyasu. Shortly thereafter, Ieyasu allies with Hideyoshi in his campaign to unify Japan. In 1589, after the death of Lady Saigo, Acha become adopted mother of

and Matsudaira Tadayoshi. Since then, Lady Acha has repeatedly acted as a messenger in various positions. She was chosen by Ieyasu to employ new talents to serve the Tokugawa clan. She responded to Ieyasu's confidence in political aspects by becoming chief secretary.

Sekigahara Campaign

After the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the power of the

Toyotomi clan The was a Japanese clan that ruled over the Japanese before the Edo period. Unity and conflict The most influential figure within the Toyotomi was Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of the three "unifiers of Japan". Oda Nobunaga was another primary ...

declined and Japan would go to war again. Ieyasu had been chosen by Hideyoshi as member of the

Council of Five Elders In the history of Japan, the was a group of five powerful formed in 1598 by the Toyotomi Hideyoshi, shortly before his death the same year. While Hideyoshi was on his deathbed, his son, Toyotomi Hideyori, was still only five years old and a ...

to act as regent for his son (

Toyotomi Hideyori was the son and designated successor of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the general who united all of Japan toward the end of the Sengoku period. His mother, Yodo-dono, was the niece of Oda Nobunaga. Early life Born in 1593, he was Hideyoshi's sec ...

) with

Yodo-dono or (1569 – June 4, 1615), also known as Lady Chacha (茶々), was a Japanese historical figure in the late Sengoku period. She was the concubine and the second wife of Japanese ruler Toyotomi Hideyoshi. As the mother of his son and successor ...

(

Oichi was a female historical figure in the late Sengoku period. She is known primarily as the mother of three daughters who became prominent figures in their own right – Yodo-dono, Ohatsu

's daughter and Oda Nobunaga niece). Due to accusations that Ieyasu wanted to usurp Hideyori's throne, Ieyasu came into conflict with

Ishida Mitsunari was a Japanese samurai and military commander of the late Sengoku period of Japan. He is probably best remembered as the commander of the Western army in the Battle of Sekigahara following the Azuchi–Momoyama period of the 16th century. He ...

and others loyal to the Toyotomi clan. In 1600, the

Battle of Sekigahara The Battle of Sekigahara (Shinjitai: ; Kyūjitai: , Hepburn romanization: ''Sekigahara no Tatakai'') was an important battle in Japan which occurred on October 21, 1600 (Keichō 5, 15th day of the 9th month) in what is now Gifu Prefecture, ...

officially began, commanded by Ishida Mitsunari in the western army against the eastern army of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Ieyasu defeated Mitsunari and gained great power and influence. Most of Mitsunari's allies had their land confiscated, further weakening Toyotomi's power. In 1603,

Senhime , or Lady Sen, was the eldest daughter of the ''shōgun'' Tokugawa Hidetada and later the wife of Toyotomi Hideyori. She was remarried to Honda Tadatoki after the death of her first husband. Following the death of her second husband, she late ...

, daughter of Tokugawa Hidetada, married Toyotomi Hideyori and lived with him in Osaka Castle along with his mother, Yodo-dono, who was sister to

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 s ...

, mother of Senhime. This marriage was only of a political nature to fortify the alliance between the two most powerful samurai clans at the time. The political alliance formed by Senhime was not enough to stabilize the relations between the two clans. Toyotomi clan members often clashed with those who were loyal to the Tokugawa clan.

Siege of Osaka

Lady Acha was employed to ease rifts between the clans. In 1613, she served as the Tokugawa representative to resolve escalating conflicts with the Toyotomi clan during the Great Bronze Bell Incident. Hideyori's mother, Yodo-dono, who acted as the de facto leader of the Toyotomi clan, stirred up intrigues with the Tokugawa. She refused several offers made by Ieyasu and expelled the pro-Tokugawa servants from Osaka Castle. In 1614, once again Lady Acha accompanied Ieyasu and the entire Tokugawa army into battle with the Toyotomi. Ieyasu trusted her because of her wisdom. She served as an envoy for peace negotiations at the time of the

. Lady Acha was accompanied by

Honda Masazumi (1566 – April 5, 1637) was a Japanese samurai of the Azuchi–Momoyama period through early Edo period, who served the Tokugawa clan. He later became a ''daimyō'', and one of the first rōjū of the Tokugawa shogunate. Masazumi was born in 15 ...

to meet Kyōgoku Tadataka, son of

Ohatsu or (1570 – September 30, 1633) was a prominently placed figure in the late Sengoku period. She was daughter of Oichi and Nagamasa Azai, and the sister of Yodo-dono and Oeyo. Alongside her sisters, she was active in the political intrigues ...

, younger sister of Yodo-dono. During the meeting, Lady Acha assured Ohatsu that Ieyasu had no ill will towards Hideyori and that he wished to forgive him, but Hidetada was stubborn about taking the castle. They ensured that Ieyasu would allow Hideyori to keep Osaka as his manor, but if he wanted to leave he would give another one with a higher income, plus all his captains and soldiers would have free transit at the exit or they could stay indoors if they wanted to, but he would need a few hostages as a sign of goodwill. Ohatsu transmitted the terms to Yodo-dono who, terrified, asked

Ōno Harunaga was a general under Toyotomi Hideyori, and fought in the Siege of Osaka in 1615. He became lord of Osaka castle after the Battle of Sekigahara. Ono led forces against those of Wakayama Castle in the Battle of Kashii, also the Battle of Shi ...

, Oda Nobukatsu and Hideyori's seven top advisers to accept the terms of the surrender. Lady Acha went to the enemy headquarters and held again a peace conference with Ohatsu and Okurakyo no Tsubone, maid of Yodo-dono. The conference was held by women only. She was told that the outer ditch should be filled by Ieyasu's men. The peace treaty was successfully carried out, but in 1615 once again the Toyotomi clan rebelled with the Tokugawa clan. As a result, Hideyori and Yodo-dono committed suicide in the flames of Osaka castle.

Later

After Ieyasu's death, she moved to Edo, she gained a mansion and 300 koku. Since she served as Moriyaku (guardian) at the time when Tokugawa Kazuko (Empress consort of Japan at this time) entered into court, she was granted Juichii (Junior First Rank) by Emperor Gomizunoo. After the death of Hidetada, she entered into priesthood and called herself as Unkōin (雲光院). Died in 1637 at the age of 83, and buried in Unkōin (Miyoshi, Koto Ward, Tokyo).

Honours

* Junior First Rank (Juichii)

References

Bibliography

* * Davis, Paul K. (2001). "Besieged: 100 Great Sieges from Jericho to Sarajevo." Oxford: Oxford University Press. * 戦況図録大坂の陣―永き戦乱の世に終止符を打った日本史上最大規模の攻城戦(2004) 新人物往来社 * Sansom, George (1961). ''A History of Japan, 1334–1615''. Stanford:

Stanford University Press Stanford University Press (SUP) is the publishing house of Stanford University. It is one of the oldest academic presses in the United States and the first university press to be established on the West Coast. It is currently a member of the Ass ...

. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Acha, Lady 1555 births 1637 deaths Tokugawa clan Japanese concubines 16th-century Japanese women 17th-century Japanese women Samurai 16th-century Japanese nobility Women of the Sengoku period People of the Azuchi–Momoyama period People of the Edo period Japanese Buddhist nuns Deified Japanese women Jōdo-shū Buddhist priests