Imperial Princess Gashi (雅子内親王)
Imperial Princess Gashi (Masako) (910 - October 3, 954) was the 10th princess of the 60th Emperor Daigo. Her mother was Koi (court lady) MINAMOTO no Chikako. She was Saigu (Imperial Princess appointed to serve the deities of Ise-jingu Shrine) and later became the wife of FUJIWARA no Morosuke. Her other name was Nishishijo Saigu. Her maternal half-brothers included MINAMOTO no Takaakira and others. FUJIWARA no Takamitsu, FUJIWARA no Tamemitsu, Jinzen and Ainomiya were her children.
In 911, she became Imperial Princess and was conferred the court rank of Shihon (the fourth rank of Imperial Princess's rank). In January 932, she was appointed as Saigu by divination. In July, 932, she entered Shosaiin (Hall of Initial Abstinence) and in October of the same year, she entered Nonomiya-jinja Shrine. In September 933, she went down to Ise Province. In March 936, she resigned as Saigu due to the death of her mother Chikako. After retuning to Kyoto, she married FUJIWARA no Morosuke in 939. She had three sons and a daughter and became the foster mother of Emperor Reizei. She died in 954. Her age at the time of her death was 45.
As she was in love with FUJIWARA no Atsutada before she was appointed as Saigu, many passionate waka poems which they exchanged are compiled in "Atsutada shu" (collection of waka poems of Atsutada). According to "Yamato Monogatari " (Tales of Yamato), however, she was appointed as Saigu immediately after their marriage was decided and eventually their love did not bear any fruit. After resigning as Saigu, she married Morosuke, who was a cousin of Atsutada and the husband of Imperial Princess Kinshi, her elder sister by the same mother. This was the sole case of a marriage of an Imperial Princess who was formally Saigu to a subject.