Ōoku

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Ōoku (disambiguation).
Look up ōoku in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Ōoku (大奥?) - Term used for the section of Edo Castle where the women connected to the reigning Shōgun resided. This included the shōgun's mother, wife, and concubines. Rumored to have had several thousands of women at one point during its history, the Ōoku was, as much as any other part of Edo Castle, a focal point of political intrigue for the Tokugawa government.

There were no male adults admitted onto the floor of Ōoku without Shōgun. The corridor through which Shōgun entered was called Osuzu Rōka (御鈴廊下?)[1] and there was the only route connected to Ōoku from rest of Edo Castle[2].

Lady or Madam posted as Otoshiyori (御年寄?) or Jōrō Otoshiyori (上臈御年寄?) held the reins of power of Ōoku and they have attained to power equivalent of Rōjū (老中?) in Edo Castle.

A recent popular portrayal of the Ōoku was the Japanese television drama Ōoku: Hana no Ran and Atsuhime (NHK Taiga drama).

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Deriving from ringing the temple bells before Shōgun had passed through.
  2. ^ Later one another corridor was built as the escape route against disasters such as fire or earthquake.
 This Japanese history-related article is a stub. You can help by expanding it.
 This article about a Japanese building- or structure-related topic is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.