Tokugawa Masako

Who was Tokugawa Masako?

Tokugawa Masako, also known as Kazu-ko, was an empress consort of Japan. She was the daughter of Tokugawa Hidetada, who was the second shogun of the Edo period of the history of Japan.

⁕1620: Masako entered the palace as a consort of the Emperor Go-Mizunoo. Although Go-Mizunoo has already taken a wife, the marriage to Masako was celebrated with great pomp.

⁕1624: Masako is granted the title of chūgū, indicating she was a second legitimate wife and therefore an established Empress Consort. She is the first consort to hold this title since the reign of Emperor Go-Hanazono.

⁕1629: When the Emperor Go-Mizunoo abdicated in 1629, Masako took the title and name of Tōfuku mon-in.

Masako's daughter, Imperial Princess Onna-Ichi-no-miya Okiko, succeeded her father. She ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne as Empress Meishō. Meishō would be succeeded by two of her father's sons by another mother. These Imperial princes would become known as Emperor Go-Kōmyō and Emperor Go-Sai. Both had been brought up by Masako as if they were her own sons.

She used her wealth to bring together Edo and Kyoto and also to keep the high standards of the court. She also used it to restore significant buildings that had been damaged in the previous years of warring. Many of these restorations were originally credited to her brother Iemitsu, or her husband, but have recently been properly credited to her. Another important way she used her money is as a representation of the Tokugawa clan.