Senju no Mae (千手の前)
Senju no Mae (1165 - May 30, 1188) was a lady, who lived during the end of Heian period. According to the "Heike Monogatari" (The Tale of the Heike), she was the daughter of Tegoshi choja (the chieftain of Tegoshi) in Suruga Province.
Biography
Senju became the Kanjo (court lady) of MINAMOTO no Yoritomo and afterwards the Nyobo (a lady-in-waiting) of Masako HOJO. She was a lady with a warm personality.
TAIRA no Shigehira, who became a hostage during (the Battle of Ichinotani, arrived to the Kokufu (ancient provincial offices) of Izu Province on May 16, 1184.
Shigehira was the fifth son of TAIRA no Kiyomori, the aristocrat with the ranks of Shosanmi (Senior Third Rank) and Konoe no chujo (middle captain of the palace guards), and the general who invaded and conquered Nanto (Nara) by burning down its Kofuku-ji Temple and Todai-ji Temple in 1180.
Yoritomo clashed with Shigehira on 17 of the following day and stated as follows.
It is a happy occasion that I was able to mobilize the army to soften the anger of In (retired emperor) (Cloistered Emperor Goshirakawa) and to carry out a vengeance for my late father (MINAMOTO no Yoshitomo) by defeating the Taira clan and meeting with you.'
You could meet up with Lord TAIRA no Munemori eventually.'
Shigehira responded boldly as follows.
Minamoto and Taira were people who were supposed to protect the imperial court together.'
However, only the Taira family defended the imperial court, and luck ran out at the end of twenty-something years of prosperity, and am captured like this now.'
As a member of the buke (samurai family), it is not disgraceful to lose one's life by enemy hands.'
I would like you to behead me now.'
Yoritomo was impressed with the capacity of Shigehira and decided to treat him with respect and passed his custody to Munemochi KANO. Shigehira was transferred to Kamakura on May 26 and was given a room within the gosho (palace).
He was permitted to bathe on June 7, and FUJIWARA no Kunimichi, Suketsune KUDO, and the Senju, who was the Kanjo (court lady), were dispatched to him by the arrangement of Yoritomo at the evening to hold a party to console the idleness. Suketsune beat tsuzumi (hand drum), Senju played the biwa (Japanese lute), and Shigehira played oteki (transverse flute). In his performing the 'Goshoraku' (also known as Gojoraku; literally, Gosho (five eternal virtues) composition) of the gagaku (ancient Japanese court dance and music), he joked that since he was dismissed from the court official position, the tune was called 'Goshoraku' (carefree and optimistic). When he played 'Ojokyu' (also known as Ojo no kyu, a tune of gagaku, performed by Kangen style (instruments style without dance)), he also amused himself that he would be 'Ojokyu' (quicken death). It became late at night and when Senju and others were about to leave, Shigehira stopped them and offered drink while recited and, taking after the historical event of the former Han and Chu, said as follows; the candle dims due to the tears of Gubijin (Yu Meiren, who was the wife of Koseki Xiang Yu) and the night falls due to the voice of Shimensoka (being surrounded by enemies on all sides).
Kunimichi reported to Yoritomo about the atmosphere of the party on the following day as 'he was the one both excelled in art and use of words.'
Yoritomo regretted that he did not attend the party from being wary of receiving a bad reputation.
Yoritomo sent Senju to Shigehira with her night gown and Suketsune to say to him, 'even a country woman is pleasing.'
As a result, Senju began to serve the hostage Shigehira.
However, the life of Shigehira and Senju did not last long, and when the Taira family fell due to the Battle of Dannoura on July 14, 1185, Shigehira was handed over due to the demands of Nanto people and left Kamakura.
Shigehira was beheaded at the Kizu-gawa River (Kyoto Prefecture) on 28 of the same month.
Senju, who was serving as the Nyobo of Masako, fainted on May 27, 1188, three years after that event, and recovered for a moment before dying at a young age of 24 on 30 which was three days after. People of Kamakura rumored that Senju continuously loved the late Shigehira and that the grief built up and she became ill ("Azuma Kagami" (The Mirror of the East)).
According to the "Heike Monogatari," Senju became a Buddhist priest and entered Zenko-ji Temple in Shinano Province to pray to Buddha for the happiness of the late Shigehira.
The relationship between Shigehira and Senju in Kamakura is portrayed as a passage within the "Heike Monogatari" and the Noh (Japanese play) title of "Senju" which depicted the night between Shigehira and Senju. There is also a statue of Senju present in Shoshoi-jinja Shrine in Tegoshi, Suruga Ward, Shizuoka City.