Princess Takahime (隆姫女王)
Princess Takahime (隆姫女王) (995 - December 25, 1087) was the eldest daughter of Imperial Prince Tomohira, the seventh prince of Emperor Murakami. Her mother was the second daughter of Imperial Prince Tamehira. She later became the legal wife of FUJIWARA no Yorimichi and was called Takakura Kitanomandokoro. Her younger brother was MINAMOTO no Morofusa (prince Sukesada), who became an adopted son of her husband Yorimichi, and the empress of Imperial Prince Atsuyasu and Princess Senshi (the wife of FUJIWARA no Norimichi) were her younger sisters. Depending on historical materials, her name was also written as 隆子女王 (Princess Takako) or 隆姫子女王 (Princess Takahimeko).
According to "Eiga monogatari" (A Tale of Flowering Fortunes), FUJIWARA no Michinaga, Yorimichi's father, was pleased with his son's marriage with Takahime, whose parents were Imperial Family, saying 'The future of a man depends on his wife.'
The marital relationship between Yorimichi and Takahime was pretty good. However, as Takahime had no children, the Emperor Sanjo once offered Yorimichi to marry off his daughter Imperial Princess Teishi to Yorimichi. Yorimichi, however, declined the Emperor's offer on the grounds that he didn't want to make Takahime sad. This offer of marriage was eventually shelved when what he believed to be the ghost of Imperial Prince Tomohira appeared near Yorimichi, who was then sick in bed (Imperial Princess Teishi later got married with FUJIWARA no Norimichi, Yorimichi's younger brother). However, having no daughters who could be the candidates for the Empress was a big disadvantage for Yorimichi and therefore, he later adopted Princess Genshi, a niece of Takahime (a daughter of her younger sister, the empress of Imperial Prince Atsuyasu) and sent her into court as Chugu (an empress consort) of Emperor Gosuzaku. Some old historical literature, including "Gukansho" (Jottings of a Fool), hold the view that the reason why Yorimichi successively adopted out his sons who were born between other women to other families was because he owed Takahime. However, such view is not supported by reliable evidence and some assert that he did so out of consideration for his adopted son Morofusa rather than for the above reason. She was conferred the rank of Juichii (Junior First Rank), entered into Buddhist priesthood in December 1064 and died in 1087 at the old age of 93.