Imperial Princess Teishi (禎子内親王)
Imperial Princess Teishi (Yasuko) (May 10, 1076 - August 27, 1096) was the seventy-second Emperor Shirakawa's first Princess. Her mother was Chugu, (the second consort of an emperor) FUJIWARA no Kenshi. Saigu (Imperial Princess appointed to serve the deities of the Ise-jingu Shrine), later became her real younger brother, Emperor Horikawa's Junbo (Equivalent rank as Emperor's mother), Chugu. Her ingo title (a title of respect given to close female relatives of the Emperor or a woman of comparable standing) was Ikuhomonin.
She became Jungo (one of the official ranks for court nobles and Imperial family during the Heian period) in March 1078, and she was appointed as Saigu by fortune telling in August in the same year. She went to Ise (from the Imperial Palace) in 1079. In 1084, she resigned from her position after her mother, Kenshi died and came back to the Palace in December of the same year. In 1086 her father, Emperor Shirakawa abdicated from the throne and her younger brother, Emperor Horikawa succeeded to the throne. In July 1087, she met with the Retired Emperor Shirakawa and made an Imperial Consort's bridal entry into court as Junbo of Emperor Horikawa in the same year of December. She was officially appointed as Chugu in 1091. She became Nyoin (a close female relative of the Emperor or a woman of comparable standing) and named Ikuhomonin in 1093. She died in 1096. She was 21 years old.
She was the first Princess who was born from Emperor Shirakawa and the most loved Chugu, Kenshi, the Imperial Princess Teishi (Yasuko) was the Emperor's most favorite Princess, who was said to be beautiful taking after her mother. The Emperor accompanied the Imperial Princess to go to Nonomiya (the temporary palace for purification) when the Princess was appointed to become Saigu by fortune telling, (there was no other record in the history about an Emperor going to Nonimiya, apart from Emperor Shirakawa) after the Princess resigned from the position of Saigu, she was appointed as Emperor Horikawa's Empress. This (appointing the Princess Teishi (Yasuko) as Emperor Horikawa's Empress) followed the example of Nyogo, FUJIWARA no Onshi (Yoshiko) becoming Kotaibunin (the mother of emperor and empress) as Emperor Godaigo's foster mother, however there was no example in history for an Emperor's real mother or sister becoming the Emperor's Empress, (an honorific title for the Empress) it was said that there were some complaints from the court officials. Anyway, this became the beginning of Junbo Rikko, (becoming Junbo as well as one of the ranks of Sanko (the Empress Dowager, Empress, Grand Empress Dowager) the Imperial Princess Teishi (Yasuko) even received the title Nyoingo and became Ikuhomonin.
According to "Chuyuki," it was said to be retired Emperor Shirakawa's first and the Emperor's favorite Princess, Imperial Princess Teishi (Yasuko) had, 'beautiful looks and was elegant, and she was generous and charitable, preferred to give aims to people.'
She loved Dengaku (ritual music and dancing performed in association with rice planting), she often enjoyed the performance of Dengaku at the Imperial Palace. The retired Emperor Shirakawa always rode in the same carriage with the Imperial Prince when going out together and confined himself in a temple (shrine) and continuously prayed for the Princess's health. However the Princess died young when she was twenty one years old, the Retired Emperor Shirakawa was crushed with grief to lose his most beloved daughter and entered into the priesthood two days after the Princess died. After that, a temple was built in Rokujodono, where the retired Emperor and the Princesses palace used to be, the Retired Emperor continued to let the ladies-in waiting serve at the Palace in the same way as it use to be. ("Imakagami") (The Mirror of the Present) By the way, there was a poet, Ikuhomonin no Aki, who use to serve at the Imperial Princess's palace as one of the ladies-in-waiting.
Her Mausoleum was same as her mother, Keinshi, in Kami Daigo no misasagi (the Kami Daigo Mausoleum) (Daigo-ji nai, Daigoyama, Daigo, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture).