An independent wife during the Warring States: The life of Kitanomandokoro Nei (1548-1624) in letters.

摘要

This dissertation unearths the life of Kitanomandokoro Nei (1548-1624), the first wife of one of Japan's unifiers, Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536/7-1598). The main historical sources used in this study are various documents, diaries, and letters written by Nei and her contemporaries, including her husband, acquaintances, relatives, and Jesuit missionaries. In particular, the original writings by Nei herself and her attendants best reveal the ways in which she lived through the series of civil wars. This dissertation, therefore, shows how erroneous Nei's image was in tales and novels: In contrast to images created in later periods, this study more closely captures and gives detailed descriptions of her life and character based on the letters of others and her own authentic writings.;Using primary sources such as letters written by Hideyoshi and records left by Jesuit missionaries, I first illustrate Nei's political role in Osaka. Nei's established position as a "first lady" meant that she played a significant role in politics while living at Osaka castle. Her political involvement, however, did not last very long. After leaving Osaka castle in 1599, surprisingly, there is no evidence that she took part in politics. All we can see from her writings and official documents are her economic activities and social relations with others.;The letters written by Nei reveal the complexities of her motives and behavior. Phrases and passages of Nei's writings have often mistakenly been read as "political" in nature, because of the stereotypical images created of her since the Edo period; however, careful reading of her letter finds a certain distance between Nei and the politics in her life after Hideyoshi's military campaign to Korea. Unlike the false stereotypical images that were created since the Edo period, the records of her own feelings show a calm character and a tranquil social life, especially in her years at her residential temple in Kyoto.