Princess Yukiko (幸子女王)

Princess Yukiko (November 14, 1680-March 18, 1720) was a member of the Japanese Imperial family in the Edo period. She was given the position "Chugu" (the empress) of the Emperor Higashiyama. Her "nyoingo" (the title of respect given to close female relatives of the Emperor or a woman of comparable standing) was Shoshumonin. Her childhood name was 英宮.

Family tree

She was the first princess of Imperial Prince Arisugawanomiya Yukihito. Imperial Prince Arisugawanomiya Tadahito was her younger paternal brother.

Career

On February 25, 1697, she married the Emperor Higashiyama, and received the Imperial letter of appointment as the title Nyogo. In 1700, she gave birth to the first daughter, Imperial Princess Shushi (Akiko), who became the wife of Imperial Prince Fushiminomiya Sadataka later. She received the Imperial letter of appointment as the title Jugo on May 3, 1707; She was given the title Chugu on February 27, 1708. This marriage had been arranged by Ietsuna TOKUGAWA, the fourth Seii taishogun (literally, "great general who subdues the barbarians") so that some officers, such as Tadakuni HONDA of the Ministry of Central Affairs were sent from the Edo bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun) to celebrate the marriage.

The Emperor Higashiyama abdicated the throne to his adopted child in June 1709 when the child ascended to the throne and became the Emperor Nakamikado. Once the retired Emperor Higashiyama died in December of the same year, Princess Yukiko received the imperial proclamation for "nyoingo" (the title of respect given to close female relatives of the Emperor or a woman of comparable standing) on March 21, 1710; She became a Buddhist nun soon after that.

Princess Yukiko died on March 18, 1720. She died at the age of 41. Her mausoleum is located at Tsukinowa no misasagi (the Tsukinowa Mausoleum) in Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture.

[Original Japanese]