Fujiwara no Choshi (藤原超子)
FUJIWARA no Choshi (Toko) (around 954-March 1, 982) was the eldest daughter of FUJIWARA no Kaneie. Her mother was Tokihime (FUJIWARA no Tokihime), who was the daughter of FUJIWARA no Nakamasa. She was the Nyogo (imperial consort) of Emperor Reizei and the birth mother of Emperor Sanjo. Her maternal siblings were FUJIWARA no Michitaka, FUJIWARA no Michikane, FUJIWARA no Michinaga, and FUJIWARA no Senshi, who had the Ingo (a title of respect given to close female relatives of the Emperor or a woman of comparable standing) of Higashi Sanjoin.
She underwent Judai (marry into the imperial court) to Emperor Reizei as the Joganden (official imperial residence of the empress) in 968. She was given Senji (imperial order) as Nyogo in the same year and received the Jo rank (imperial court rank) of Jushiinoge (Junior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade). Emperor Reizei abdicated from the throne in 969. She was later promoted to Jushiinojo (Junior Fourth Rank, Upper Grade) but died suddenly in 982. As Emperor Sanjo succeeded to the throne in 1012, she was given the posthumous rank of the Empress Dowager.
When Choshi underwent Judai, her father Kaneie was still the Kurodo no to (Head Chamberlain), and this was the first case where the daughter of the non-Kugyo (court noble) person received the Senge (imperial proclamation) of Nyogo. After the Emperor Reizei abdicated the throne, she gave birth to three sons and a daughter, who were Imperial Prince Okisada (Emperor Sanjo), Imperial Prince Tametaka, and Imperial Prince Atsumichi, but she was found dead at the dawn before the koshin (fifty-seventh of the sexagenary cycle), seemingly sleeping with her head rested on her kyosoku (arm rest).
("Eiga Monogatari" (A Tale of Flowering Fortunes))