Imperial Consorts IV

Empress Fujiwara (Taishi)

¶Emperor Heizei's Empress, of the Fujiwara clan, was named Taishi (Obiko) and was a daughter of Fujiwara-no-Momokawa, Shikibu-kyō, Minister of Ceremonial. When Emperor Heizei was still Crown Prince, she was taken into his household as his consort (Note: following the Nihon Kōki and the Nihon Kiryaku). In the thirteenth year of Enryaku (794) she fell ill, withdrew to the Mukurekoin, and died there (Note: following the Nihon Kiryaku). When the emperor ascended the throne, she was posthumously granted the title of Empress (Note: following the Nihon Kōki and the Nihon Kiryaku).

Imperial Princess Asahara

¶The consort Imperial Princess Asahara became the Saiō, High Priestess of Ise, in the first year of Enryaku (782) (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki and the Saigū-ki). In the fourth year (785), Emperor Kanmu himself attended the Saisho, the Priestess's place of purification, to see her dispatched, and the hundred officials escorted her as far as the border of Yamato province (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi). In the fifteenth year (796) she was relieved of her office and returned to the capital (Note: according to the Nihon Kiryaku, in the second month of this year offerings were sent to Ise on the occasion of the Priestess's retirement, but her name is not recorded. According to the Ruijū Kokushi and the Nihon Kiryaku, from the fourth year of Enryaku until this year no new Priestess was chosen by divination, and the following year Imperial Princess Fuse became Priestess. The Ichidai Yōki and the Teiō Hennenki list only the two Imperial Princesses Asahara and Fuse as Priestesses of Emperor Kanmu's reign. If so, it is clear that the one who retired in this month was Imperial Princess Asahara). She was granted Third Rank (Note: following the Nihon Kōki). In the seventeenth year (798) she was granted 250 chō of rice land (Note: following the Nihon Kiryaku). Later she was advanced to Second Rank (Note: the year and month of her elevation to the rank of consort are not recorded. The Nihon Kōki, the Ruijū Kokushi, and the Nihon Kiryaku all record that in the fourth month of the third year of Kōnin, the consort of Second Rank Imperial Princess Asahara and the consort of Fourth Rank Imperial Princess Ōyake asked to resign their offices and were permitted to do so, but they do not say whose consorts these were. The Kōin Shōunroku, the Rekidai Kōki, and the Ichidai Yōki all treat them as consorts of Emperor Heizei, and that is followed here). She entered the palace but did not receive the emperor's favor (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku and the Rekidai Kōki). In the third year of Kōnin (812) she was relieved of her office (Note: following the Nihon Kōki, the Ruijū Kokushi, and the Nihon Kiryaku), and in the eighth year (817) she died, at the age of thirty-nine. Emperor Saga sent envoys to supervise her funeral (Note: following the Nihon Kiryaku).

Imperial Princess Ōyake

¶The consort Imperial Princess Ōyake was granted Fourth Rank and was relieved of her office at the same time as Imperial Princess Asahara (Note: following the Nihon Kōki, the Nihon Kiryaku, and the Ruijū Kokushi). Later she was advanced to Third Rank. In the fifth year of Tenchō (828) she shaved her head and entered the religious life (Note: following the Nihon Kiryaku). In the second year of Kashō (849) she died. Emperor Ninmyō suspended the conduct of government for three days (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki).

Fujiwara-no-Kusuko

¶The Naishi-no-kami, Principal Handmaid, Fujiwara-no-Kusuko, was a daughter of Fujiwara-no-Tanetsugu, Chūnagon, Middle Counsellor. She married Fujiwara-no-Tadanushi, Chūnagon, and bore him three sons and two daughters. When Emperor Heizei was still Crown Prince, her eldest daughter was chosen and entered his household. Afterwards Kusuko became Tōgū Senji, Court Communicator to the Crown Prince, and the Prince was intimate with her in secret. Emperor Kanmu detested this and dismissed Kusuko. When the Prince ascended the throne, he summoned Kusuko again, made her Naishi-no-kami, granted her Senior Third Rank, and showered her with favor. Kusuko was skilled at flattery and at winning affection, and made adroit use of every sort of scheme. The emperor did not perceive her cunning and accepted whatever she said. All affairs of state came to depend on her will, and the force of her power resounded in every quarter. When the emperor abdicated and took up residence in the old capital of Heijō, Kusuko and her elder brother Nakanari grew ever more arrogant (Note: following the Nihon Kōki and the Nihon Kiryaku). In secret they plotted to restore the Retired Emperor Heizei to the throne and to have Kusuko herself raised to the rank of empress (Note: following the Mizukagami). In the end they falsely issued an edict to move the capital back to Heijō, and the whole city fell into uproar. Emperor Saga, enraged, had Nakanari seized and issued an edict laying bare Kusuko's crimes, stripped her of her offices and ranks, and drove her out of the palace. The Retired Emperor was angered, and at length raised troops, intending to set out for the eastern provinces in the same carriage as Kusuko; but a great army blocked the road and he could not advance. The Retired Emperor returned to the capital and shaved his head, and Kusuko drank poison and died (Note: following the Nihon Kiryaku).

Ise-no-Tsuguko

¶Ise-no-Tsuguko was a daughter of Ise-no-Okina, Moku-no-kami, Director of the Bureau of Carpentry (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku; that Okina was Director of the Bureau of Carpentry follows the Shoku Nihongi). When Emperor Heizei was still Crown Prince, he took her as a consort (Note: following the Nihon Kōki). She bore the deposed Crown Prince, Imperial Prince Takaoka, Imperial Prince Kose (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku), Imperial Princess Kamitsuke, and Imperial Princess Isonokami (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku, the Rekidai Kōki, the Ichidai Yōki, and the Teiō Hennenki). In the fourth year of Enryaku (785) she was granted eleven chō of rice land (Note: following the Ruijū Kokushi). Soon afterwards she was advanced to Junior Fourth Rank Lower. In the third year of Kōnin (812) she died, at the age of forty-one, and was posthumously granted Junior Third Rank (Note: following the Nihon Kōki and the Nihon Kiryaku).

Fujii-no-Fujiko

¶Fujii-no-Fujiko (Note: the Kōin Shōunroku writes "Fujii" as "Banchō" and "Fujiko" as "Fujitsugu," and says she was a daughter of Fujii-no-Sukune Michiyori, of Senior Fifth Rank Lower, who later changed his surname to Banchō-no-Ason. The Shoku Nihon Kōki is followed here) was a daughter of Fujii-no-Michiyori, of Senior Fifth Rank Lower (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki. The Shōunroku also records another account that makes her a daughter of Yoshifuji-no-Tsugumichi). She bore Imperial Prince Abo. When Emperor Ninmyō ascended the throne, she was granted Junior Fifth Rank Lower (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki).

Ki-no-Natsume

¶Ki-no-Natsume was a daughter of Ki-no-Kitsume, of Junior Third Rank. She was granted Junior Fifth Rank Lower. She bore Imperial Princess Enu (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki).

¶[Emperor Saga]

Empress Tachibana

¶Emperor Saga's Empress, of the Tachibana clan, was named Kachiko and was a daughter of Tachibana-no-Kiyotomo, Uchitoneri, Palace Attendant. When the Empress was still a small child, there was a nun at the Hokkeji temple named Zen'un, who took her by the arm and told her, "This girl will one day be the mother of an empress of the Son of Heaven." By nature the Empress was generous and gentle, and her appearance was matchless; when she let her arms hang, her hands reached below her knees, and her hair trailed to the ground. When Emperor Saga was still a prince, he took her as his consort and favored her (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku). When he ascended the throne, she advanced to the rank of Bunin, Lady (Note: the Montoku Jitsuroku says she became Bunin in the early years of Kōnin, but the Ruijū Kokushi and the Nihon Kiryaku are followed here). Soon she was granted a fief of one hundred households. In the early years of Kōnin she was advanced to Junior Third Rank (Note: following the Nihon Kiryaku). In the fifth year of Kōnin (814) she was granted twenty-four chō of land in Niwa district, Owari province (Note: following the Nihon Kōki). On the seventh day of the seventh month of the sixth year (815), the Empress dreamed that she was adorned with strings of jewels and made as solemn as a Buddha. A few days later she was installed as Empress. Once she held that highest rank, she devoted herself wholly to moral instruction and guidance; the inner palace was kept in harmony, and court and country alike praised her, while the emperor grew ever more respectful of her. She bore Emperor Ninmyō, the Empress of Emperor Junna (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku), Imperial Prince Hideyoshi (Note: the Teiō Hennenki says he was born of Imperial Princess Takatsu, but here, on the basis of the entry for the tenth month of the first year of Jōwa in the Shoku Nihon Kōki, the Kōin Shōunroku, the Genji Keizu, the Ichidai Yōki, and the Kōin Keizu are followed), Imperial Princess Shūshi (Hideko) (Note: the Kōin Shōunroku and the Kōin Keizu say she was born of Ōhara-no-Jōshi, but here the Shoku Nihon Kōki is followed), Imperial Princess Shunshi (Toshiko) (Note: the Shōunroku and the Keizu say she was born of Jōshi, but here the Ichidai Yōki and the Teiō Hennenki are followed), Imperial Princess Hanshi (Shigeko) (Note: the Shōunroku and the Keizu say she was born of Fun'ya-no-Fumiko, but here the Montoku Jitsuroku is followed), and Imperial Princess Hōshi (Yoshiko) (Note: the Shōunroku and the Keizu say she was born of Fumiko. The Shoku Nihon Kōki calls her the Empress Dowager's fifth daughter, so she is listed last here). When Emperor Junna ascended the throne, she was honored as Empress Dowager and presented with a fief of one thousand households (Note: following the Nihon Kiryaku). When Emperor Ninmyō ascended the throne, she was honored as Grand Empress Dowager. In the third year of Jōwa (836) she assigned 230 chō of vacant land in Heijō to the Suzakuin. In the following year, she assigned sixty-four chō of waste fields in Ōmi to the Go-in, the retirement residence. In the ninth year (842) she moved to the Reizen-in (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki). In the third year of Kashō (850), Emperor Ninmyō fell ill. The Empress Dowager was deeply grieved, and at last she shaved her head and became a nun, seeking the protection of the unseen powers (Note: the Shoku Nihon Kōki states that she entered religion because of illness after the emperor died). In the third month the emperor died, and the Empress Dowager died in the fifth month, at the age of sixty-five. She was buried at Fukatani-yama, but in accordance with her wishes expressed in life, the funeral was a simple one, and no mausoleum was built (Note: it is told in the world that the Empress Dowager left instructions saying, "Hold no funeral; cast my body out in the fields. If a man given to lust sees my form decayed, perhaps he may awaken to some small degree," and that after her death her remains were abandoned in the western outskirts, and later her bones were gathered and buried, so that the place was called "Ikken" or "Kenkyū." But that account is not adopted here). Earlier, a rumor had spread among the people that "this year there is no haha-ko, so no rice cakes can be made on the third day of the third month." Haha-ko is the name of a wild herb, which according to the custom of the time was used to make rice cakes; those of discernment heard the rumor and thought it ill-omened. And indeed, in the third month the emperor died, and soon afterwards the Empress Dowager followed. The Empress Dowager had deep faith in the Buddhist law; she founded the Danrinji temple and settled there bikuni, nuns, who kept the precepts. Emperor Ninmyō gave over five hundred households to provide for their upkeep (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku). In the world she was called the Danrin Empress (Note: following the Kōnendai Ryakki). The Empress Dowager once had a great many treasure banners and embroidered kesa, monastic robes, made, and their craftsmanship was of the utmost skill, yet those about her did not know her purpose. Later she sent the monk Egaku to Tang China, where he gave the embroidered kesa to Sengqie, Kang Seng, and others, and had the treasure banners, mirror cases, and similar objects deposited at the temples of Mount Wutai (Note: according to the Genkō Shakusho, Egaku, in the early years of Saikō, received the edict of the Empress Dowager Tachibana and went to Tang carrying offerings of cloth; he reached the Lingchi temple at Hangzhou, had an audience with the Chan master Qi'an and presented the offerings, and at length obtained the elder Gikū and returned home with him. It is told in the world that the Empress Dowager composed a waka in which she sang of clouds rising beyond the mountains of China as nothing other than the smoke of the fires burning here, and that on hearing it Qi'an approved and praised her, saying that to find in the eastern lands one who understood the Way so deeply made her, though a woman, a true daijōbu, a great man. But the Genkō Shakusho places this in the Saikō era, and its error needs no demonstration. Nor is there any reliable basis for the poem as passed down in the world, and it is added here only for reference). She also consulted with her younger brother Tachibana-no-Ujikimi, Minister of the Right, and opened a school, which was named the Gakkan-in, and encouraged the sons and younger kinsmen of the clan to study and recite the classics. The people of the time compared her to Empress Deng of the Han (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku).

Imperial Princess Takatsu

¶The consort Imperial Princess Takatsu bore Imperial Prince Narihoshi (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku) and Imperial Princess Nariko (Note: following the Nihon Kiryaku, the Kōin Shōunroku, the Ichidai Yōki, and the Kōin Keizu). At the beginning of Emperor Saga's reign she was granted Third Rank and installed as consort (Note: following the Nihon Kiryaku and the Shoku Nihon Kōki), but soon afterwards she was deposed. In the eighth year of Jōwa (841) she died. Envoys were sent to supervise her funeral (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki).

Tajihi-no-Takako

¶The consort Tajihi-no-Takako was a daughter of Tajihi-no-Ujimori, of Junior Fifth Rank Lower (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki). At the beginning of Emperor Saga's reign she became Bunin, Lady, and was granted a fief of one hundred households (Note: following the Nihon Kiryaku). In the first year of Kōnin (810) she was advanced to Junior Third Rank. In the sixth year (815) she became consort (Note: following the Nihon Kōki and the Ichidai Yōki). In the eleventh year (820) she was advanced to Junior Second Rank (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki). In the third year of Tenchō (826) she died, at the age of thirty-nine. Her residence was posthumously granted Junior First Rank (Note: following the Nihon Kiryaku).

Fujiwara-no-Ubuko

¶The Bunin, Lady, Fujiwara-no-Ubuko entered the inner palace in the early years of Kōnin and was advanced to Junior Third Rank (Note: following the Nihon Kiryaku). Later she became Bunin (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki) and was advanced to Junior Second Rank. In the sixth year of Tenchō (829) she died, at the age of sixty-nine (Note: following the Nihon Kiryaku).

Fujiwara-no-Onatsu

¶The Bunin, Lady, Fujiwara-no-Onatsu was a daughter of Fujiwara-no-Uchimaro, Minister of the Right. In the first year of Kōnin (810) she was granted Junior Fifth Rank Upper, and in the third year (812) she was advanced to Junior Fourth Rank Lower (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku). In the sixth year (815) she was installed as Bunin (Note: following the Nihon Kōki and the Ruijū Kokushi; the Montoku Jitsuroku gives the third year, which is mistaken) and advanced to Junior Third Rank (Note: following the Nihon Kōki and the Montoku Jitsuroku). In the second year of Saikō (855) she died. She was posthumously granted Senior Second Rank (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku).

Ōhara-no-Jōshi

¶The Nyōgo, Consort, Ōhara-no-Jōshi (Kiyoko) was a daughter of Ōhara-no-Ietsugu, of Senior Sixth Rank Upper (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki). She was granted Senior Fifth Rank Lower, and in the fifth year of Kōnin (814) she was advanced to Junior Fourth Rank Lower (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku). She bore Imperial Princess Jinshi (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku). She was granted Junior Third Rank. In the eighth year of Jōwa (841) she died (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki).

Kudara-no-Kimyō

¶The Nyōgo, Consort, Kudara-no-Kimyō was a daughter of Kudara-no-Shuntetsu, Chinju-shōgun, General in Command of the Garrison. Kimyō was fair in form and appearance and skilled in jokō, the women's arts such as sewing. She became Nyōgo (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku) and bore Imperial Prince Motoyoshi (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku, the Teiō Hennenki, and the Kōin Keizu), Imperial Prince Tadayoshi (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku), and Imperial Princess Motoko (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku, the Ichidai Yōki, the Teiō Hennenki, and the Kōin Keizu). In the tenth year of Kōnin (819) she was granted Junior Fifth Rank Upper and advanced to Junior Fourth Rank Lower. In the first year of Ninju (851) she died (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku).

Akishino-no-Takako

¶The Kōi, Dressing Lady, Akishino-no-Takako (Note: that she was a Kōi follows the Nihon Kōki. The Shoku Nihongi writes her name as "Yasuko" or "Kyōko," and the Ruijū Kokushi writes it as "Kyōko," but here the Kōin Shōunroku, the Ichidai Yōki, and the Teiō Hennenki are followed) was granted Junior Fifth Rank Upper in the ninth year of Jōwa (842) and Junior Fourth Rank Lower in the second year of Kashō (849) (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki). Later she was advanced to Senior Fourth Rank Lower (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku and the Ichidai Yōki). She bore Minamoto-no-Kiyoshi (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku, the Ichidai Yōki, and the Teiō Hennenki).

Yamada-no-Chikako

¶The Kōi, Dressing Lady, Yamada-no-Chikako (Note: that she was a Kōi follows the Nihon Kōki. The Kōin Shōunroku, the Ichidai Yōki, and the Kōin Keizu write "Yamada" as "Yamaguchi," which is mistaken) was summoned in the later years of Emperor Saga's reign and received his favor. She bore Minamoto-no-Hiraku (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku) and Minamoto-no-Mitsuhime (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku, the Ichidai Yōki, and the Kōin Keizu). In the ninth year of Jōwa (842) she was granted Junior Fifth Rank Upper (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki).

Iitaka-no-Yakamayu

¶The Kōi, Dressing Lady, Iitaka-no-Yakamayu (Note: following the Genji Keizu and the Kōin Shōunroku) bore Minamoto-no-Tokiwa (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku) and Minamoto-no-Akira (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin and the Genji Keizu).

Kudara-no-Kyōmyō

¶The Naishi-no-kami, Principal Handmaid, Kudara-no-Kyōmyō was a daughter of Kudara-no-Kyōshun, Chinju-shōgun, General in Command of the Garrison (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki). Her bearing was marked by propriety, and the emperor held her in great esteem. She bore Minamoto-no-Sadamu (Note: following the entry for the fifth year of Jōgan in the Sandai Jitsuroku) and Minamoto-no-Shizumu (Note: following the Genji Keizu, the Ichidai Yōki, and the Teiō Hennenki). She advanced to Junior Third Rank. In the seventh year of Tenchō (830) she was specially granted a fief of fifty households (Note: following the Nihon Kiryaku). In the early years of Jōwa, the Retired Emperor Saga moved to the Saga-in; this was called the Ōin, the Great Residence, but for Kyōmyō a separate palace was built and called the Koin, the Lesser Residence. Such was the depth of his affection for her (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku). In the third year of Jōwa (836) she became Naishi-no-kami. In the eighth year (841) she was advanced to Junior Second Rank. In the second year of Kashō (849) she died. By edict she was posthumously granted Junior First Rank, and envoys were sent to supervise her funeral (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki).

Kasa-no-Tsuguko

¶Kasa-no-Tsuguko bore Minamoto-no-Iku (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin, the Ichidai Yōki, and the Teiō Hennenki. The Kōin Shōunroku says Iku was born of Ōhara-no-Zenshi, which is mistaken). In the second year of Kashō (849) she was advanced to Junior Third Rank (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi).

Ōhara-no-Zenshi

¶Ōhara-no-Zenshi (Matako) bore Minamoto-no-Tōru (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki and the Ichidai Yōki), Minamoto-no-Isoshi, and Minamoto-no-Mitsuhime (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku and the Ichidai Yōki). In the second year of Kashō (849) she was advanced to Senior Fifth Rank Lower (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki).

Takashina-no-Kawako

¶Takashina-no-Kawako (Note: the Kōin Shōunroku and the Teiō Hennenki write her name as "Ako," and the Kōin Shōunroku also writes it as "Akichi," both of which are mistaken) was a daughter of Takashina-no-Jōkai, of Junior Fourth Rank Upper. She bore Imperial Princess Sōshi and was granted Junior Fifth Rank Upper.

Princess Katano

¶Princess Katano was a daughter of Prince Yamaguchi, of Junior Fifth Rank Upper (Note: the Shoku Nihon Kōki records her as "Kōki-ō-shi," but here the Ichidai Yōki, the Teiō Hennenki, and the Kōin Keizu are followed). She bore Imperial Princess Uchiko (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki). In the fourteenth year of Kōnin (823) she was granted Junior Fifth Rank Upper (Note: following the Ruijū Kokushi).

Fun'ya-no-Fumiko

¶Fun'ya-no-Fumiko was a daughter of Fun'ya-no-Kugamaro, of Senior Fifth Rank Lower. She bore Imperial Princess Junshi (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku) and Imperial Princess Seishi. She was granted Junior Fifth Rank Upper (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku).

Lady Hiroi

¶Lady Hiroi bore Minamoto-no-Makoto (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku).

Lady Kamitsukeno

¶Lady Kamitsukeno bore Minamoto-no-Hiromu (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku).

Abe-no-Yanagitsu

¶Abe-no-Yanagitsu (Note: the writing "Yanagitsu" follows the Ichidai Yōki) bore Minamoto-no-Yutaka (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku, the Ichidai Yōki, the Teiō Hennenki, and the Kōin Keizu).

Lady Tanaka

¶Lady Tanaka bore Minamoto-no-Tōru (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku, the Ichidai Yōki, the Teiō Hennenki, and the Kōin Keizu).

Lady Awata

¶Lady Awata bore Minamoto-no-Yasushi (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku).

Lady Koreyoshi

¶Lady Koreyoshi bore Minamoto-no-Masaru (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku).

Lady Nagaoka

¶Lady Nagaoka bore Minamoto-no-Masaru (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku, the Ichidai Yōki, the Teiō Hennenki, and the Kōin Keizu).

Lady Fuse

¶Lady Fuse bore Minamoto-no-Sadahime and Minamoto-no-Hashihime (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku and the Kōin Keizu).

Lady Taima

¶Lady Taima was a daughter of Taima-no-Haritamaro, of Senior Sixth Rank Upper. She bore Minamoto-no-Kiyohime and Minamoto-no-Matahime (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku).

Lady Ki

¶Lady Ki bore Minamoto-no-Sarahime (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku, the Ichidai Yōki, and the Kōin Keizu).

Lady Kura

¶Lady Kura (Note: the Shoku Nihon Kōki records that Kura-no-Kageko was granted Junior Fourth Rank Lower, and this is probably the same person) bore Minamoto-no-Kamihime, Minamoto-no-Katachihime, and Minamoto-no-Ahime (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku, the Ichidai Yōki, and the Kōin Keizu).

Lady Kannabi

¶Lady Kannabi bore Minamoto-no-Kowahime (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku, the Ichidai Yōki, and the Kōin Keizu).

¶[Emperor Junna]

Empress Takashi

¶Emperor Junna's Empress was named Takashi (Takashi) and was at first an Imperial Princess. Emperor Kanmu cherished her above all others and gave her to Emperor Junna as his consort. She was granted Third Rank. She bore Imperial Prince Tsuneyo (Note: following the Nihon Kiryaku), Imperial Princess Ujiko, Imperial Princess Yūshi (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku), and Imperial Princess Teishi (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki. The Kōin Shōunroku gives the mother of Ujiko, Yūshi, and Teishi as the same as the mother of Imperial Prince Tsunesada; the Ichidai Yōki gives the mother of Yūshi and Teishi as Ōnakatomi-no-Yasuko; and the Teiō Hennenki gives the mother of Teishi as Ōno-no-Takako; all of these are mistaken). In the fifth month of the fourth year of Daidō (809) she died, at the age of twenty-one. Envoys were sent to supervise her funeral, and she was posthumously granted First Rank. When Emperor Junna ascended the throne, an edict posthumously granted her the title of Empress (Note: following the Nihon Kiryaku), and her tomb was renamed Iwatsukuri no Misasagi (Note: following the Engishiki. According to the Ruijū Kokushi and the Nihon Kiryaku, in the first and second years of Tenchō a reburial was planned but not carried out, and in the third year officials for the reburial were appointed, but the month and day of the reburial are not recorded in either). A Kokki no Sai, memorial service on the anniversary of her death, was established (Note: following the entry on the abolition of the Kokki in the second year of Tennan in the Sandai Jitsuroku). In the fourth year of Tenchō (827), by edict, ten chō of reclaimed fields were donated to the Tachibanadera temple to supply the spring and autumn repentance rites, and the Yakushi Keka, repentance rite to the Medicine Buddha, was performed at two temples, east and west, to pray for her happiness in the afterlife (Note: following the Ruijū Kokushi).

Empress Masako

¶The Empress was named Masako and was the second daughter of Emperor Saga (Note: elsewhere in this work she is called the eldest daughter, but here this is corrected on the basis of the Nihon Kiryaku; for details see the Biographies of Imperial Princesses). She was beautiful in appearance, chaste, and refined in manner, and Emperor Saga and the Empress Dowager Tachibana cherished her (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku). She was at first an Imperial Princess (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi), and Emperor Junna received her with every courtesy and brought her into the inner palace. The Empress possessed the virtue befitting a mother, and her kin took her as a model. She bore the deposed Crown Prince, Imperial Prince Tsunesada (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku), Imperial Prince Tsunemune (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki), and Imperial Prince Motosada (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku. According to the Shoku Nihon Kōki and the Nihon Kiryaku, the Empress bore more than these three, but their names are not recorded, or they died young, and so they are not listed here). In the fourth year of Tenchō (827) she was installed as Empress (Note: following the Nihon Kiryaku and the Sandai Jitsuroku). In the eighth year (831) a drought persisted, and the emperor was deeply troubled and made many prayers; but when the Empress urged him to review the records of prisoners and suspend corvée labor, rain fell that very day. The emperor held her in still greater regard (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku. According to the Ruijū Kokushi and the Nihon Kiryaku, in this year rites were twice performed to avert the calamity of wind and rain, and there is no mention of a drought; in the following year, because of pestilence and drought, sutras were recited by alternate reading and a rain-prayer was performed. On this basis the "eighth year" here appears to be an error for the "ninth year"). In the summer of the ninth year (832), the Empress made a progress to the Unrintei pavilion to observe agricultural work and gave gifts to the men and women who were tilling the fields (Note: following the Nihon Kiryaku). In the tenth year (833), Emperor Junna passed the throne to Emperor Ninmyō. By edict the title of Empress was suspended and her staff of officials was abolished. Emperor Ninmyō honored her as Empress Dowager (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku). In the second year of Jōwa (835), Emperor Ninmyō presented her with a fief of one thousand households. In the third year (836) he assigned abandoned fields in Kawachi to the Go-in, the retirement residence (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki). In the seventh year (840), the Retired Emperor Junna died. The Empress Dowager cut off her hair and became a nun, and her appearance was so worn and wasted that she seemed little more than bone (Note: the Nihon Kōki states that on the day Kinoto-ushi of the twelfth month of the ninth year of Jōwa the Grand Empress Dowager of Junna cut off her hair, but this differs by two years, and which is correct cannot be determined). In the first year of Saikō (854), Emperor Montoku honored her as Grand Empress Dowager. In the second year of Jōgan (860), the Empress Dowager held a great Saie, maigre feast, at the Junna-in, inviting renowned monks of the various temples to lecture on the Lotus Sutra; she prepared offerings of every kind and distributed alms, sparing no treasure. Emperor Seiwa and the Kōtaifujin, Dowager Consort (Fujiwara-no-Akiko), bestowed new coins, rice, salt, sweet rice wine, millet, and other goods on monks and laypeople, men and women, some thirty thousand in all. The Empress Dowager received the bodhisattva precepts from Ennin, Zasu, Abbot of Enryakuji, and took the Dharma name Ryōso. In the tenth year of Jōgan (868), when the Empress Dowager reached the age of sixty, she had sixty monks lecture on the sutras at the palace in the eastern quarter of the capital and gave gifts to the poor of the city. In the sixteenth year (874) the Junna-in was struck by fire. The Empress Dowager left the palace in a plain carriage and took refuge at the Matsushita-in. Emperor Seiwa sent Fujiwara-no-Ienmune, Sangi, Councillor, to inquire after her and to present silk, thread, cloth, coins, rice, and iron. Soon afterwards she returned to the Tōri-den hall of the main residence. In the third month of the third year of Gangyō (879), her illness grew grave. She commanded those about her, saying, "The Emperor of Tenchō, Emperor Junna, by his dying command was cremated, and no mausoleum was established for him, and there is no garden shrine in which I might be buried beside him. When the day comes that I close my eyes, use rough old timber for the coffin, bury me on Mount Saga, set no guardians over the tomb, and do not include me among the Kokki observances; let it follow the regulations of the late Retired Emperor Junna." When she had finished speaking, she died. She was seventy-one (Note: the text here lacks one character in the number "seventy-one"; the year of her age has been calculated from the entry for the day Kanoto-mi of the eleventh month of the tenth year of Jōgan and corrected here). She was buried on Mount Saga. The Empress Dowager was merciful and benevolent, and made it her business to rescue others. She took in abandoned orphans in the eastern and western capitals, provided them with wet nurses, and raised many of them. She set aside two-fifths of her fief households to meet the cost. In the Jōgan era she gave up her old palace at Saga to be a temple, and petitioned Emperor Seiwa, who bestowed on it a tablet reading "Daikakuji." Beside it she built halls to care for sick monks and nuns, and named them the Saichiin. She also made the Junna-in a place of practice and housed there the nuns who had attended her in ordinary times (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku). The Empress Dowager once made a patchwork kesa, monastic robe, and donated it to the Guoqing temple in Tang China, to be used in the memorial feast for the monk Zhiyi (Note: following the Ruijū Kokushi).

Lady Nagahara

¶The Nyōgo, Consort, Lady Nagahara entered the inner palace and received favor. Emperor Saga made Minamoto-no-Sadamu a son of Emperor Junna and made this consort his mother, and so she was called Teiji no Nyōgo (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku).

Tachibana-no-Ujiko

¶The Nyōgo, Consort, Tachibana-no-Ujiko was a daughter of Tachibana-no-Nagana, of Junior Third Rank (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki). In the fifth year of Jōgan (863) she was advanced to Junior Fourth Rank Upper (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku).

Princess Otsugu

¶The Shōzō, Mistress of the Storehouse Office, Princess Otsugu (Note: the Ichidai Yōki writes "Shōzō" as "consort," which is mistaken) was granted Junior Second Rank. She was skilled in bewitching manners, and the emperor favored her above all others. In the fourteenth year of Jōwa (847) she died, at the age of sixty-one. By her dying instruction she declined the envoys sent for a funeral (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki).

Ōnakatomi-no-Yasuko

¶Ōnakatomi-no-Yasuko was a daughter of Ōnakatomi-no-Fuchiuo, of Junior Fourth Rank Upper. She bore Imperial Prince Yoshisada (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku, the Ichidai Yōki, the Teiō Hennenki, and the Kōin Keizu). In the second year of Saikō (855) she was granted Junior Fifth Rank Upper (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku).

Ōno-no-Takako

¶Ōno-no-Takako was a daughter of Ōno-no-Mao, Sakonoe-no-chūjō, Middle Captain of the Left Palace Guards. She bore Imperial Princess Kanshi (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku, the Ichidai Yōki, and the Kōin Keizu).

Tachibana-no-Funeko

¶Tachibana-no-Funeko was a daughter of Tachibana-no-Kiyono, of Junior Fourth Rank Upper. She bore Imperial Princess Sūshi (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki, the Ichidai Yōki, and the Teiō Hennenki).

Tajihi-no-Ikeko

¶Tajihi-no-Ikeko (Note: the Kōin Shōunroku, the Ichidai Yōki, the Teiō Hennenki, and the Kōin Keizu write "Ikeko" as "Tsuneko," which is mistaken) was a daughter of Tajihi-no-Kadonari, of Junior Fifth Rank Upper. She bore Imperial Princess Dōshi (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku).

Kiyohara-no-Haruko

¶Kiyohara-no-Haruko was a daughter of Kiyohara-no-Natsuno, Minister of the Right. She bore Imperial Princess Meishi (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku).

¶[Emperor Ninmyō]

Empress Fujiwara (Junshi)

¶Emperor Ninmyō's Empress, of the Fujiwara clan, was named Junshi and was a daughter of Fujiwara-no-Fuyutsugu, Minister of the Left. She was beautiful in appearance. Once, while she was still in her father's house, a rainbow-like vapor appeared over the basin as she washed her face in the morning, and a diviner said, "This is a sign of the highest nobility." When Emperor Ninmyō was still Crown Prince, she entered his household and received his favor. She bore Emperor Montoku. At the beginning of Emperor Ninmyō's reign she was granted Junior Fourth Rank Lower and became Nyōgo (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku; that she was Nyōgo follows the Nihon Kōki). In the eleventh year of Jōwa (844) she was advanced to Junior Third Rank (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki and the Sandai Jitsuroku). When Emperor Montoku ascended the throne, he honored her as Kōtaifujin, Dowager Consort (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku and the Sandai Jitsuroku). She moved to the Higashi-Gojō-in, where her ceremonial was made equal to that of the emperor's own carriage, and officers from the rank of Shōgen of the Left and Right Konoe Guards downward were dispatched to stand guard. In the first year of Saikō (854), an edict declared: "Among the bonds closest to a man, none surpasses that between mother and child. Therefore, when a son ascends to a lofty position, its dignity returns to his mother. None of the sage kings of old departed from this. I, though lacking in virtue, suffered early misfortune. My sorrow was deep and my thoughts far-reaching, as if without end. At that time the Grand Empress Dowager of Saga and the Empress Dowager of Junna were both still living. While I wished to make the rites of honor toward my mother glorious in the light of ancient precedent, there were also restraints of propriety, and the rites differ for the living and the dead. For this reason, in making my birth mother, of the Fujiwara clan, Kōtaifujin, I hoped to embrace the virtue of modesty and so invite later blessings. But now, the matter of the mausoleum of the Great Empress Dowager (the Grand Empress Dowager of Saga) has long since passed through many years, while no title of honor has yet been conferred on the Empress Dowager of Junna. My birth mother, of the Fujiwara clan, is likewise still called merely Dowager Consort. How could one who is a son rest content with this, by the measure of a son's duty? Now, as the gentle southern wind blows in its season, I feel ever more deeply the kindness that nurtured me. I venture, in the light of old precedent, to exalt and offer the honored titles. Let the Empress Dowager be honored as Grand Empress Dowager, and the Dowager Consort as Empress Dowager. May she nurture the myriad lands, may her abundant virtue be without limit, and may the four seas rely upon her forever" (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku). In the second year of Tennan (858), Emperor Montoku died, and Emperor Seiwa was still young. At the request of the assembled ministers, the Empress Dowager moved to the Crown Prince's palace in the same carriage as the emperor. In the summer of the second year of Jōgan (860) she returned to the Higashi-Gojō-in. In autumn she fell ill, and the emperor had twenty persons ordained as monks to pray for her. In winter a great Saie was held at her own palace. In the third year of Jōgan (861) she visited the Somedono mansion of Fujiwara-no-Yoshifusa, Dajō Daijin, Chancellor, where princes and ministers all gathered, banquets and music were held, and clothing and goods were bestowed. She made a pilgrimage to the Ōharano Shrine, with Fujiwara clansmen of Sixth Rank and below as her escort (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku). The progresses to Ōharano begin from this (Note: following the Gōke Shidai). She cut off her hair, became a nun, and received the precepts. In the sixth year of Jōgan (864) she was honored as Grand Empress Dowager. In the ninth month of the thirteenth year (871) she died and was buried at the Ato no Yamashina no Misasagi in Uji district (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku). A Kokki observance was established at Tōji (Note: following the Nihon Kiryaku). In the world she was called the Gojō Empress. The Empress Dowager was by nature gentle, sincere, and chaste, her practice of ritual propriety was complete, and as a model of motherhood she had few equals; she had deep faith in Buddhism. She founded the Anshōji temple and established there nenbun dosha, annually allotted ordinands, to cultivate the Mahayana path (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku).

Empress Fujiwara (Takuko)

¶The Empress, of the Fujiwara clan, was named Takuko (Sawako) (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki. The character "taku" is also written "jō," and the Ōkagami writes it as "shō," but all of these are mistaken) and was a daughter of Fujiwara-no-Fusatsugu, Governor of Kii (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki and the Sandai Jitsuroku). She became Nyōgo and was granted Junior Fourth Rank Lower, and her favor was foremost in the inner palace. She bore Imperial Prince Muneyasu, Emperor Kōkō, Imperial Prince Sane'yasu, and Imperial Princess Shinshi. In the sixth year of Jōwa (839) she died. Emperor Ninmyō mourned her and sent a chūshi, imperial messenger, to posthumously grant her Junior Third Rank (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki). She was buried in Karato village, Otagi district, Yamashiro province. When Emperor Kōkō ascended the throne, he posthumously honored her as Empress Dowager, renamed her tomb Nakao no Misasagi, established a Kokki observance at Tōdaiji, and added her to the ranks of the Jūryō, Ten Tombs. In the first year of Ninna (885), five households were assigned as tomb guardians (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku; for Karato and the Nakao no Misasagi, the Engishiki is followed).

Shigeno-no-Nawako

¶The Nyōgo, Consort, Shigeno-no-Nawako was a daughter of Shigeno-no-Sadanushi, Sangi, Councillor (Note: that she was Nyōgo follows the Genji Keizu). Her disposition was gentle and straightforward and her conduct accorded with propriety, and the emperor showed her special favor. She bore Imperial Prince Motoyasu, Imperial Princess Jishi, and Imperial Princess Jūshi (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku. The Kōin Shōunroku gives the mother of Jūshi as the same as the mother of Imperial Prince Nariyasu, which is mistaken). In the third year of Jōwa (836) she was granted Senior Fifth Rank Lower (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki) and was later advanced to Junior Fourth Rank Upper.

Fujiwara-no-Sadako

¶The Nyōgo, Consort, Fujiwara-no-Sadako was a daughter of Fujiwara-no-Mimori, Minister of the Right. When Emperor Ninmyō was still Crown Prince, she was chosen and entered his household. She bore Imperial Prince Nariyasu, Imperial Princess Shinshi (Chikako), and Imperial Princess Heishi (Taira-ko) (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku. Elsewhere in this work it is said that she bore two princesses whose names are not recorded, but here the Kōin Shōunroku, the Teiō Hennenki, and the Kōin Keizu are followed). At the beginning of Emperor Ninmyō's reign she was granted Junior Fourth Rank Lower (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku), and in the sixth year of Jōwa (839) she was advanced to Junior Third Rank (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi and the Sandai Jitsuroku). She was by nature straightforward and gentle (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku); her words always accorded with ritual propriety, the inner palace looked up to her virtue, and the emperor held her in regard (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki). Though she did not rise to the rank of Empress, her favor was exceptional and never waned to the end, and none in the inner palace could rival her (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku). When Emperor Montoku ascended the throne, she was advanced to Senior Third Rank. After Emperor Ninmyō died, she grieved so deeply that she wasted away, nearly abandoned food and drink, and the marks of tears lay upon her bedding. All who saw it felt deep pity. In the first year of Ninju (851) she became a nun. She accumulated disciplined practice, and monks and laity alike praised her (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku). In the eighth month of the sixth year of Jōgan (864) she died. By edict she was posthumously granted Junior First Rank. Because she had once received special kindness from Emperor Ninmyō, she was permitted to be interred alongside him within the precinct of the Fukakusa no Misasagi, and envoys were sent to supervise the funeral. In the third year of Ninna (887), an edict had the merit of recitation and nenbutsu performed at the Kashōji temple (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku).

Ki-no-Taneko

¶The Kōi, Dressing Lady, Ki-no-Taneko was a daughter of Ki-no-Natora, of Senior Fourth Rank Lower (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku. That she was Kōi follows the Ki-shi Keizu. Elsewhere in this work he is given as "Junior Fourth Rank Upper," but here this is corrected on the basis of the Shoku Nihon Kōki). She bore Imperial Prince Tsuneyasu (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku and the Kōin Shōunroku) and Imperial Princess Shinshi (Mako). She was granted Senior Fifth Rank Lower (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku).

Lady Mikuni

¶The Kōi, Dressing Lady, Lady Mikuni bore Sadanoboru. In the early years of Jōwa, Lady Mikuni committed a fault, and Sadanoboru was implicated in it and was struck from the imperial family register (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku).

Fujiwara-no-Katoko

¶Fujiwara-no-Katoko was a daughter of Fujiwara-no-Fukutōmaro, Governor of Hizen (Note: that he was Governor of Hizen follows the Sonpi Bunmyaku). She bore Imperial Prince Kuniyasu (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku, the Ichidai Yōki, the Teiō Hennenki, and the Kōin Keizu). In the ninth year of Jōwa (842) she was granted Senior Sixth Rank Upper (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki) and advanced to Junior Fifth Rank Upper (Note: the Kōin Keizu gives Junior Fifth Rank Lower, but here the Ichidai Yōki is followed).

Fujiwara-no-Kowarako

¶Fujiwara-no-Kowarako was a daughter of Fujiwara-no-Michinaga, of Junior Fifth Rank Lower. She bore Imperial Princess Jūshi (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku and the Ichidai Yōki). She was granted Junior Fifth Rank Upper.

Princess Kōsō

¶Princess Kōsō was a daughter of Prince Okaya, of Junior Fourth Rank Upper (Note: following the Kōin Keizu). She bore Imperial Princess Kyūshi (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki, the Kōin Shōunroku, and the Kōin Keizu). She was granted Junior Fifth Rank Upper (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki).

Kudara-no-Eikei

¶Kudara-no-Eikei (Note: the writing "Eikei" follows the Ichidai Yōki and the Kōin Keizu) was a daughter of Kudara-no-Kyōfuku, of Junior Fifth Rank Upper (Note: the Kōin Shōunroku, the Ichidai Yōki, and the Teiō Hennenki write "fuku" as "shun." On that reading she would be a daughter of Kudara-no-Kyōshun, Chinjufu-shōgun, General in Command of the Garrison, and a younger sister of Kyōmyō, Emperor Saga's Nyōgo, but which is correct cannot be determined). She bore Imperial Princess Kōshi (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku).

Lady Yamaguchi

¶Lady Yamaguchi bore Minamoto-no-Satoru (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku).

¶[Emperor Montoku]

Empress Fujiwara (Akirakeiko)

¶Emperor Montoku's Empress, of the Fujiwara clan, was named Akirakeiko (Akiko) and was a daughter of Fujiwara-no-Yoshifusa, Dajō Daijin, Chancellor. She bore Emperor Seiwa (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku) and Imperial Princess Gishi (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku, the Kijoshō, and the Saiin-ki). In the third year of Ninju (853) she was advanced to Junior Third Rank (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku). In the second year of Tennan (858) she was granted Junior First Rank, skipping the intervening ranks (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki). When Emperor Seiwa ascended the throne, she was honored as Kōtaifujin, Dowager Consort. In the sixth year of Jōgan (864) she was honored as Empress Dowager. In the winter of the eighth year (866) she moved into the newly built Jōneiden hall. In the spring of the following year the emperor held a private banquet to celebrate it, raised the cup to wish her long life, and bestowed gifts on the palace officials according to their ranks. In the winter of the tenth year (868), when the Empress Dowager reached the age of forty, an edict sent envoys to forty temples near the capital and forty temples at Heijō to perform the merit of reciting sutras by alternate reading. A private banquet was held at the main hall, gifts were bestowed on princes, ministers, and court officials, the palace officials and women attendants were advanced in rank, and the poor were gathered at the Suzakumon gate and given goods. In the autumn of the fourteenth year (872) she moved to the Somedono palace. In the spring of the sixteenth year (874) she moved to the residence at the Shikinozōshi. In the winter of the second year of Gangyō (878) the Empress Dowager reached the age of fifty. The Retired Emperor (the Retired Emperor Seiwa) commanded fifty monks to lecture on the Lotus Sutra at the Seiwa-in, and the princes and the hundred officials all assembled. In the first month of the sixth year of Gangyō (882), Emperor Yōzei honored her as Grand Empress Dowager. In the second month of the first year of Ninna (885), the Empress Dowager asked that her allowances be reduced and her women officials returned, but Emperor Kōkō did not grant the request (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku). In the fifth month of the third year of Shōtai (900) she died, at the age of seventy-two (Note: the Fusō Ryakki gives the first month for her death, but here the back-notes of the Ōkagami, the Ichidai Yōki, and the Teiō Hennenki are followed. As to her age, the Nihon Kiryaku, the Fusō Ryakki, and the back-notes of the Ōkagami all give seventy-three, but here the Teiō Hennenki is followed, together with the entry in the second year of Gangyō in the Sandai Jitsuroku stating that the Empress Dowager was then fifty). She was buried at the Shirakawa no Misasagi in Otagi district (Note: following the Engishiki). In the world she was called the Somedono Empress (Note: following the Ōkagami, the Ichidai Yōki, and the Kokin Wakashū).

Fujiwara-no-Furuko

¶The Nyōgo, Consort, Fujiwara-no-Furuko was a daughter of Fujiwara-no-Fuyutsugu, Minister of the Left, and a younger sister of the Gojō Empress (Fujiwara-no-Junshi) (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku). In the third year of Kashō (850) she became Nyōgo. In the third year of Ninju (853) she was advanced to Junior Third Rank (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku). When Emperor Seiwa ascended the throne, she was advanced to Junior First Rank. In the third year of Jōgan (861) she shaved her head (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku).

Princess Tōshi

¶The Nyōgo, Consort, Princess Tōshi became Nyōgo in the third year of Kashō (850) (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku) and was granted Junior Fourth Rank Lower. In the seventh year of Jōgan (865) she died (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku).

Fujiwara-no-Toshiko

¶The Nyōgo, Consort, Fujiwara-no-Toshiko became Nyōgo in the third year of Kashō (850) (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku).

Fujiwara-no-Takakiko

¶The Nyōgo, Consort, Fujiwara-no-Takakiko was the eldest daughter of Fujiwara-no-Yoshimi, Minister of the Right. From her youth she possessed an elegant constancy (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku). In the third year of Kashō (850) she became Nyōgo (Note: the Sandai Jitsuroku says she entered the inner palace in the early years of Ninju and became Nyōgo, but here the Montoku Jitsuroku is followed). In the second year of Ninju (852) she was granted Senior Fifth Rank Lower (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku), and in the first year of Saikō (854) she was advanced to Junior Fourth Rank Lower (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku and the Sandai Jitsuroku). In the second year of Tennan (858) she died (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku).

Fujiwara-no-Koreko

¶The Nyōgo, Consort, Fujiwara-no-Koreko became Nyōgo in the third year of Kashō (850) (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku).

Ki-no-Shizuko

¶The Kōi, Dressing Lady, Ki-no-Shizuko was a daughter of Ki-no-Natora, of Senior Fourth Rank Lower (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku and the Ichidai Yōki; that she was Kōi follows the Ki-shi Keizu and the Sakusha Burui). She bore Imperial Prince Koretaka, Imperial Prince Koreeda, Imperial Princess Ishi, Imperial Princess Jutsushi, and Imperial Princess Chinshi (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku, the Teiō Hennenki, and the Kōin Keizu). In the second year of Tennan (858) she was granted Senior Fifth Rank Lower (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku) and later advanced to Junior Fourth Rank Upper (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki). In the second month of the eighth year of Jōgan (866) she died (Note: following the Kanke Bunsō).

Shigeno-no-Mineko

¶Shigeno-no-Mineko was a daughter of Shigeno-no-Sadao, Governor of Settsu. She was granted Junior Fifth Rank Upper (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku). She bore Minamoto-no-Motoari, Minamoto-no-Noriari, and Minamoto-no-Fuchiko (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku and the Kōin Shōunroku. The Sandai Jitsuroku says she bore two princes and two princesses, all of whom were given the surname Minamoto, but the name of one princess is not recorded and cannot at present be investigated).

Shigeno-no-Okuko

¶Shigeno-no-Okuko was a daughter of Shigeno-no-Sadanushi, Sangi, Councillor. She had great dignity of bearing and was well versed in the teachings of womanly virtue. She bore Imperial Prince Korehiko, Imperial Princess Nōshi, and Imperial Princess Shōshi (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku).

Fujiwara-no-Imako

¶Fujiwara-no-Imako was a daughter of Fujiwara-no-Sadamori, Sangi, Councillor (Note: the Ichidai Yōki and the Kōin Keizu write "Sadamori" as "Moritada," but here the Teiō Hennenki is followed). She bore Imperial Prince Koreharu (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku, the Ichidai Yōki, the Teiō Hennenki, and the Kōin Keizu), Imperial Princess Reishi, and Imperial Princess Keishi (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku. The Teiō Hennenki and the Kōin Keizu give the mother of Keishi as the same as the mother of Imperial Prince Koretaka, but which is correct cannot be determined).

Fujiwara-no-Retsuko

¶Fujiwara-no-Retsuko was a daughter of Fujiwara-no-Koreo, of Junior Fifth Rank Upper (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku; the writing "Retsuko" follows the Kōin Shōunroku, the Teiō Hennenki, and the Kōin Keizu). She bore Imperial Princess Anshi (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku, the Teiō Hennenki, and the Kōin Keizu) and Imperial Princess Eshi (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku).

Lady Tomo

¶Lady Tomo bore Minamoto-no-Yoshiari (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku, the Kugyō Bunin, the Teiō Hennenki, and the Kōin Keizu).

Lady Taji

¶Lady Taji bore Minamoto-no-Tsuneari (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku).

Lady Kiyohara

¶Lady Kiyohara bore Minamoto-no-Tokiari (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku).

Lady Sugawara

¶Lady Sugawara bore Minamoto-no-Sadaari (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku and the Teiō Hennenki) and Minamoto-no-Tomiko (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku).

Lady Fuse

¶Lady Fuse bore Minamoto-no-Yukigo (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku).