Tamahime (珠姫) or Tama (1599-1622) was a Japanese noble lady, member of the aristocrat

Tokugawa family The is a Japanese dynasty which produced the Tokugawa shoguns who ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868 during the Edo period. It was formerly a powerful ''daimyō'' family. They nominally descended from Emperor Seiwa (850–880) and were a branch of ...

during the

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 the second daughter of the

shogun , officially , was the title of the military aristocracy, rulers of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor of Japan, Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, exc ...

Tokugawa Hidetada, and her mother was

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 ...

, both important figures who stabilized and ruled 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 ...

. She was also the wife of Maeda Toshitsune, the 2nd ''

daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and no ...

'' of Kaga Domain.

Genealogy

Tamahime was the daughter of Hidetada, the second shogun of the Edo era, son 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 ...

. Her mother was

, third daughter of

Azai Nagamasa was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Sengoku period known as the brother-in-law and enemy of Oda Nobunaga. Nagamasa was head of the Azai clan seated at Odani Castle in northern Ōmi Province and married Nobunaga's sister Oichi in 1564, fathering ...

with

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

and niece 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 ...

. She was the sister of Senhime (wife of

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 ...

), Katsuhime (1601-1672), Hatsuhime (1602-1630),

Tokugawa Iemitsu was the third ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate, Tokugawa dynasty. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Hidetada with Oeyo, and the grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Lady Kasuga was his wet nurse, who acted as his political adviser and was at the ...

(1604-1651),

Tokugawa Tadanaga was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the early Edo period. The son of the second ''shōgun'' Tokugawa Hidetada, his elder brother was the third ''shōgun'' Tokugawa Iemitsu. Biography Often called ''Suruga Dainagon'' (the major counsellor of Su ...

(1606-1633) and

Empress Masako is Empress of Japan as the wife of Emperor Naruhito. Born in Tokyo, Masako was educated at Belmont High School in Massachusetts before attending Harvard College, earning a B.A., ''magna cum laude'', in economics. She also studied law at t ...

(1607 -1678).

Life

In 1600, after 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, ...

, she became engaged to Maeda Toshinori. In 1601, she moved from Edo to Kanazawa and got married. At this time, she was only three years old. However, it is noted that Oonishi Yasumasa, based on a letter from Ono Harunaga to Maeda family retainer Yamashita Hyogo, suggests that the actual wedding took place around April of 1605, based on the timing of Ono's letter. In 1613, she gave birth to her eldest daughter, Kamezuru (later married to Mori Tadahiro). In 1615, she gave birth to her eldest son, Mitsutaka. In 1616, she gave birth to her second daughter, Ko-hime. In 1617, she gave birth to her second son, Toshitsugu. In 1618, she gave birth to her third son, Toshiharu. In 1619, she gave birth to her third daughter, Mitsuru (later married to Asano Mitsuharu). In 1621, she gave birth to her fourth daughter, Tomi (later married to Prince Chichibu Tomochika). In 1622, after giving birth to her fifth daughter, Natsu, her health deteriorated, and she died in July at the age of 24. She left behind three sons and five daughters with her husband, Toshinori. She was posthumously given the Buddhist name Tendokuin Daisetsu Jōni. The temple Tendokuin was established on Mount Koya in the same year, and in 1623, a temple with the same name was also built in Kanazawa, both by Maeda Toshinori. Her current grave is located in the Nodayama Cemetery.

Anecdotes

In 1599, shortly after succeeding to the Maeda clan, Toshinaga, Tokugawa Ieyasu suspected him of treason and planned to subjugate Kaga. However, Maeda clan's senior retainer, Yokoyama Nagatomo, explained to Ieyasu and offered Toshinaga's mother, Maeda Matsu, as a hostage, promising to marry his daughter, Tamahime, to the Maeda family. After this incident, the Maeda clan switched to a pro-Tokugawa policy. During her bridal journey, roads and bridges were prepared from Edo to Kanazawa, with tea houses built every ri, and entertainers such as actors and various artists accompanied the young princess so she wouldn't get bored, making it a luxurious and elaborate bridal journey receiving lavish hospitality from daimyos along the way. It is said that during her bridal journey, the first Go-shiki-seika (five-color confectionery) was made by Kichizou, a confectioner in Kanazawa. Although her marriage to Toshinori was a political one, it is said they were a very affectionate couple (a letter to her father, Hidetada, requesting him to allow Toshinori to return to Kaga during his duty rotation still exists. This can be inferred from the number of children mentioned above). However, fearing that information might leak to the Tokugawa shogunate due to the Maeda clan's status as an outsider, Tamahime's wet nurse, fearing that information might leak to the Tokugawa shogunate due to the Maeda clan's status as an outsider, Tamahime's wet nurse, fearing that Tamahime's health deteriorated after Natsu's birth. not knowing the circumstances, Tamahime misunderstood that Toshinori's affection for her had diminished because his favor had waned, and she died of exhaustion. When Toshinori forcefully rushed to her deathbed, he realized everything from Tamahime's last words and, in anger, executed Tamahime's wet nurse by burning her at the stake .

Family

At the age of 3, she entered a political marriage with Maeda Toshitsune (1594-1658), son of Maeda Toshiie, to strengthen the alliance between the Tokugawa and the Maeda. During the marriage they had many children * Kikakuhime (1613-1630), adopted by Iemitsu and married to Mori Tadahiro, son of Mori Tadamasa. * Maeda Mitsutaka (1616-1645) * Maeda Toshitsugu (1617-1674) * Maeda Toshiharu (1618-1660) * Manhime (1620-1700) adopted by Iemitsu, married toAsano Mitsuakira * Tomihime (1621-1662) She lived little as a princess member of the Shogunate, dying in 1622 at the age of 22.

References

{{Reflist 1622 deaths 1599 births 17th-century Japanese people 17th-century Japanese women People of the Edo period Tokugawa clan Maeda clan Deaths in childbirth