Oeyo

The grave of Oeyo and Tokugawa Hidetada at Zôjô-ji in Tokyo

• Died: 1626
• Other Names: 江 (Gou), 崇源院 (Sougen'in)
• Japanese: 於江与 (Oeyo)

O-eyo was the wife of Shogun Tokugawa Hidetada. She is also often referred to by variations on her name, including Eyo-no-kata, Gô-hime, and O-gô. After her husband stepped down as shogun, she took on a Buddhist retirement name, Sôgen'in.

She is the titular character of the 2011 NHK Taiga Drama, Gô ~ Himetachi no Sengoku.

Lineage

The youngest daughter of Asai Nagamasa and Oichi, Oeyo, also known as Gô (江), taking a character from the name of Ômi Province (近江国) where she was born, was thus a niece of Oda Nobunaga. Her elder sisters, Yodo-gimi and Ohatsu, married Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Kyôgoku Takatsugu respectively.

Oeyo had several children with Hidetada. Their son Tokugawa Iemitsu succeeded Hidetada as shogun, while another son, Tadanaga, was daimyô of Kôfu. Oeyo and Hidetada also had at least two daughters: Senhime, who married Toyotomi Hideyori, and later Honda Tadatoki of Himeji castle, and Tôfukumon-in, who was Imperial consort to Emperor Go-Mizunoo and mother of Empress Meishô.

Biography

O-eyo is said to have been rather strict about Hidetada not taking other wives, and not allowing his children by other women to remain in the household. Hoshina Masayuki was one such son, the direct son of Hidetada by blood, but adopted out of the Tokugawa clan and into the Hoshina clan shortly after his birth.