Yabe Zenni (矢部禅尼)
Yabe Zenni (1187 - May 23, 1256) was a woman from the Miura clan who lived from the early to middle Kamakura period. She was the daughter of Yoshimura MIURA who was one of the senior vassals of the Kamakura bakufu (the Japanese feudal government headed by shogun). She was the former wife of the third regent, Yasutoki HOJO and the grandmother of the forth regent, Tsunetoki HOJO, and the fifth regent, Tokiyori HOJO. Her posthumous Buddhist name was Zena.
In March1194, she was engaged to Yasutoki HOJO when he celebrated his attainment of manhood at the age of 13 according to the order by Yoritomo MINAMOTO that Yoshizumi MIURA had to choose a nice girl from his granddaughters to marry Yasutoki. On September 23, 1202, eight years after their engagement, the daughter (Yabe Zenni) of Yoshimura, who was the legitimate son of Yoshizumi, was married to Yasutoki and had her first son the following year. However, Zenni and Yasutoki were later divorced. It is not known when they were divorced, however it is presumed to be before 1212 since his second wife, who was the daughter of Sanekazu ABO had her second son, Tokizane HOJO in the same year.
The daughter of Yoshimura later got remarried to Moritsura SAHARA and had triplets, Mistumori SAHARA, Moritoki SAHARA and Tokitsura SAHARA. After Moritsura's death, she went back to her home town, Yabego in Miura District and became a nun. She was referred to by her posthumous Buddhist name Zena and also as Yabe Zenni. In July 1237, when Yabe Zenni was awarded land in Yoshiigo, Izumi Province by the Kamakura bakufu, the notification letter was delivered to Yabe in Miura District by her grandson, Tokiyori. In 1247, when the Miura family was destroyed by the Hojo family in the battle of Hoji, the children of Yabe Zenni fought on the Hojo family side, however the children later referred to themselves as Miura and restored the Miura family.
On May 13, 1256, at 70 years old she died due to a sickness caused by fasting. The regent, Tokiyori, who was the grandson of Zenni, mourned her death for fifty days.