Yodo-dono

Who was Yodo-dono?

Yodo-dono or Yodogimi was a prominently-placed figure in late-Sengoku period. She was a concubine and second wife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who was then the most powerful man in Japan. She also became the mother of his son and successor, Hideyori. She was also known as Lady Chacha. After the death of Hideyoshi, she took the tonsure, becoming a Buddhist nun and taking the name Daikōin.

The great wealth and changing fortunes of her husband and son affected Yodo-dono's life as well. Surviving record books from luxury goods merchants provide insight into patterns of patronage and taste amongst the privileged class of women like Yodo-dono and her sisters.