Tokudaiji Fusako (徳大寺維子)
Fusako TOKUDAIJI (1481 - April 8, 1566) was a Kita no Mandokoro (legal wife of regent or chief adviser to the Emperor) of Hisamichi KONOE, who was a Kanpaku (chief adviser to the Emperor) during the Sengoku Period (Period of Warring States). Her father was Saneatsu TOKUDAIJI, who held the title of Daijo-daijin (Grand minister of state). She was the biological mother of Taneie KONOE.
After the wedding ceremony held on September 2, 1497, she practically became the lawful wife (in the court noble society at the time, the position of a lawful wife was granted only after the formal marriage ceremony). After giving birth to the first daughter on July 5 in the following year, she had two sons and five daughters. However, because Hisamichi had already retired from the position of Kanpaku in the month before their marriage, she didn't get to hold the position of 'Kita no Mandokoro' until right after Hisamichi reassigned to Kanpaku in 1513 ("Gohojoji Nikki" (The Diary of Hisamichi KONOE), the article dated October 27 in the tenth year of the Eisho era). On December 27, 1513, she was granted the rank of Jusanmi (Junior Third Rank).
It is known that Fusako undertook official duties in place of her husband and sons; on the occasion of Yuimae (a Buddhist service for the Yuima Sutra held at Kofuku-ji Temple) held at Kofuku-ji Temple in 1536, the year when Taneie assumed the positions of Kanpaku and Toshi choja (Chief advisor to the Emperor and the head of the Fujiwara clan), she visited the temple in place of Taneie, who was to offer thanks for being designated a Kanpaku the next day. Although not her birth child, she served as a guardian of Keijuin, who was the lawful wife of seii taishogun (literally, "great general who subdues the barbarians") Yoshiharu ASHIKAGA. She witnessed Keijuin giving birth to Yoshiharu's oldest son and heir (later Yoshiteru ASHIKAGA) in 1536. Also, it is known that Michinao KONO of Iyo Province requested Sadayori ROKKAKU, Joko ODACH of naidanshu (another name of hikitsukeshu, coadjustor of the high court), and his son Harumitsu ODACHI, to put in a good word for him to become a member of Gohobanshu (officials who accompany shogun) via the 'Omandokoro (Mother of the chief Adviser to the Emperor) of the Konoe family' ("Odachi Joko Nikki" (The Diary of Joko ODACHI), the articles dated January 22 and 23, 1540). This 'Omandokoro of the Konoe family' refers to Fusako, who is believed to have influenced the shogunate government as a virtual maternal grandmother to Yoshiteru, who was a successor of the shogunate (Michinao KONO eventually became a member of Gohobanshu on May 28, 1540 ("Odachi Joko Nikki")).
Although her health deteriorated after 1517, presumably from menopause, it is depicted in "Gohojoji Nikki" that she visited temples including Kurama-dera Temple and Kiyomizu-dera Temple, and associated with relatives and influential figures such as Takakuni HOSOKAWA.
She died on April 8, 1566, at the age of 86, which was considerably old ("Tokitsugu Kyoki" (The Dairy of Tokitsugu YAMASHINA)).