Oinomikado Reishi (大炊御門麗子)
Reishi OINOMIKADO (also known as FUJIWARA no Reishi and Empress Reishi, 1185 - November 8, 1243) was a chugu of Emperor Tsuchimikado during the Kamakura period. Her nyoingo (a title of respect given to close female relatives of the Emperor or a woman of comparable standing) was Onmeimonin.
Genealogy
She was the daughter of Grand Minister, FUJIWARA no Yorizane. Her birth mother was the daughter of Sakyo no daibu (Master of the Eastern Capital Offices), FUJIWARA no Sadataka, FUJIWARA no Takako.
Brief personal history
In 1198, she served as nyogo-dai (court lady who acted for nyogo) in the Daijo-sai festival (a festival to celebrate the succession of an emperor) for Emperor Tsuchimikado. In April 1205, she entered into the court of Emperor Tsuchimikado who was ten years younger than her at the age of 21, and was given the title of nyogo; she was formally installed as chugu in July during the same year.
Reishi never had a child with the emperor, and was given the title of ingo (a title of respect given to close female relatives of the Emperor or a woman of comparable standing) in April 1210. In November in 1210, the Emperor Tsuchimikado abdicated his throne to his younger step brother who had a different mother, Imperial Prince Morinari (Emperor Juntoku).
In February 1221, Reishi became a priest, and referred to herself as Shojomyo as hogo (Buddhist name). In May 1221, the Jokyu Disturbance occurred. After the Jokyu Disturbance was over, the Retired Emperor Tsuchimikado decided to willingly be exiled to Tosa Province, even though he was not directly involved in the disturbance, when his father, Emperor Gotoba was determined to be exiled to Oki Province; Reishi remained in Kyoto.
When Retired Emperor Tsuchimikado passed away in Awa Province, where he was exiled in 1231, Reishi abdicated fuko (a vassal household allotted to a courtier, shrines and temples), nenkan (a right granted as a stipend to members of the Imperial Family - including the emperor, consorts of the emperor, some Court nobles, and so forth to nominate a person for a certain government post conferred to them on the occasion of annually installing them as government officials), nenshaku (a right granted as a stipend to a retired emperor, the mother of the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager, the Empress, etc., to nominate a person for a certain rank conferred to them on the occasion of the annual conferment of a rank) and retired; she passed away at the age of fifty nine years old in 1243.