Omandokoro (大政所)
Omandokoro
In the Japanese aristocracy society, omandokoro is a title given to a mother based on an emperor's direction when her child was serving as the Sessho (the title of a regent given to who is named to assist an emperor when the emperor is still a child, or before coming of age, or when a female), or the Kanpaku - the title of a regent who assists an adult emperor.
It is an abbreviation of okitanomandokoro
Usually, omandokoro refers to Hideyoshi TOYOTOMI's mother, Naka. More detailed information will be provided in this section.
Naka
Omandokoro was a woman who lived from the Sengoku Period (Period of Warring States - Japan) through the Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1513 - August 29, 1592). Her formal name was Naka, and she gave birth to Hideyoshi TOYOTOMI, Hidenaga TOYOTOMI, Nisshu and Asahihime.
Career
Omandokoro is the abbreviation of the original term 'okitamandokoro,' and a honorific title given to a mother with a child serving as the sessho or kanpaku, and in a modern era, it is common to refer her (Juichii - Junior First Rank).
In 1513, she was born as the daughter of Kanesada SEKI who was running a forging shop and also in the samurai class in Gokiso-mura, Aichi-gun, Owari Province (Aichi Prefecture). The Seki clan was a family who was engaged in the business of forging swords. It is also thought she was born 1516.
She got married with Yaemon KINOSHITA (Shokichi KINOSHITA and Yasuke NAKAMURA) who was serving as the head of conscripted foot-soldiers for Nobuhide ODA and she gave birth to Nisshu-in and Hideyoshi. Meanwhile, after her husband died in the war (actually, died of a disease), she got married with Masamori MIZUNO (Chikuami) who was serving as doboshu (government post) for Hidenobu.
She gave birth to Hidenaga and Asahihime during that period of time (Father of Hidenaga and Asahihime is believed to be Yaemon or Chikuami.)
Later years of Omandokoro
Upon the promotion of Hideyoshi to the Kanpaku in 1585, she was called Omandokoro. In 1586, Hideyoshi advised Ieyasu TOKUGAWA to carry out the joraku (going to Kyoto to seize power), but it was unsuccessful, and he sent Asahihime for his legal wife and Omandokoro as a hostage to Okazaki, Mikawa Province. As a result, Ieyasu agreed to the joraku, and Omandokoro was able to return to Osaka in a month or so.
Hideyoshi called for his mother to live and stay in the castle when he became the owner of Nagahama-jo Castle, and it is well known that he always cared about his mother throughout the rest of her life. Omandokoro got along with Kodai-in very well, who was Hideyoshi's bride. According to various tales, she was a wise and smart woman.
After the preceding death of her children, Asahihime and Hidenaga, she died in 1592 at Jurakudai (Hideyoshi's residence in Kyoto.)
She was eighty (or, seventy seven) year old.