Kyota Ko's Blog - Posts Tagged "shogun"
How a Shogun’s nanny upheld 250 years of samurai governance
Not a few feudal lords were known to be sexually fluid, often intimate with young samurai whom they employed as bodyguards. This became a problem when the lord was not just a regional lord, but instead the shogun, the ruler of all of Japan.
The third Tokugawa shogun, Iemitsu (1604 - 1651)’s biggest mission was supposed to be to produce the next-generation shogun. But he was very sexually active with his 3 bodyguards and didn’t even sleep once with his wife 🤦♀️.
If there was no offspring, there would be a struggle for power and the peace Japan finally attained in 1615 may crumble to the ground. So Iemitsu’s ace nanny, Kasuga, rose to the occasion. “HOLD. MY. BEER 😤.”
Kasuga started headhunting beautiful women from the city regardless of their social rank and cast them in the harem she built for Iemitsu.
In an age where there was almost no decent-paying job for women, some of these ladies were paid salaries way over the average samurai’s, because obviously, they had a far more important role.
Strict rules were set in the harem, like “No grown male shall enter except the shogun,” “No woman shall enter or leave without permission,” and “No one shall be allowed in or out after 6 pm.” It was to make sure any child given birth in the harem would be the shogun’s.
Aside from salaries, Kasuga provided benefits such as beauty allowances which the women used to purchase kimonos and cosmetics.
The best of the best were gathered and housed in the most luxurious working environment, dubbed “Ōoku.”
Just as Kasuga intended, the shogun Iemitsu started showing interest in women and ultimately, he had a girl and 4 boys, each with a different mother.
The harem lasted throughout the rest of the Tokugawa shogunate’s over-250-year rule, thanks to Kasuga the Matriarch 💪.
——————
▶︎ Hi, I’m Kyota, the author of Amazon Best Sellers:
Folk Tales of Japan: 28 Japanese folk tales with cultural commentary
Underdogs of Japanese History: 11 tales of iconic characters who prevailed against the odds... or didn’t
Horror Tales of Japan: 21 Japanese folktales not to be read to children, coupled with (mostly) uplifting cultural commentary
Please check out my books on Amazon or from my profile page at ☺️: https://kyotako.myportfolio.com/
The third Tokugawa shogun, Iemitsu (1604 - 1651)’s biggest mission was supposed to be to produce the next-generation shogun. But he was very sexually active with his 3 bodyguards and didn’t even sleep once with his wife 🤦♀️.
If there was no offspring, there would be a struggle for power and the peace Japan finally attained in 1615 may crumble to the ground. So Iemitsu’s ace nanny, Kasuga, rose to the occasion. “HOLD. MY. BEER 😤.”
Kasuga started headhunting beautiful women from the city regardless of their social rank and cast them in the harem she built for Iemitsu.
In an age where there was almost no decent-paying job for women, some of these ladies were paid salaries way over the average samurai’s, because obviously, they had a far more important role.
Strict rules were set in the harem, like “No grown male shall enter except the shogun,” “No woman shall enter or leave without permission,” and “No one shall be allowed in or out after 6 pm.” It was to make sure any child given birth in the harem would be the shogun’s.
Aside from salaries, Kasuga provided benefits such as beauty allowances which the women used to purchase kimonos and cosmetics.
The best of the best were gathered and housed in the most luxurious working environment, dubbed “Ōoku.”
Just as Kasuga intended, the shogun Iemitsu started showing interest in women and ultimately, he had a girl and 4 boys, each with a different mother.
The harem lasted throughout the rest of the Tokugawa shogunate’s over-250-year rule, thanks to Kasuga the Matriarch 💪.
——————
▶︎ Hi, I’m Kyota, the author of Amazon Best Sellers:
Folk Tales of Japan: 28 Japanese folk tales with cultural commentary
Underdogs of Japanese History: 11 tales of iconic characters who prevailed against the odds... or didn’t
Horror Tales of Japan: 21 Japanese folktales not to be read to children, coupled with (mostly) uplifting cultural commentary
Please check out my books on Amazon or from my profile page at ☺️: https://kyotako.myportfolio.com/
