Shimazu Kameju

Born: 1571
Died: 1630
Other Names: 亀寿姫 (Kameju hime), 持明院 (Jimeiin), ジメイさぁ (jimei saa)
Japanese: 島津亀寿 (Shimazu Kameju)

Shimazu Kameju, or Kameju-hime, was the third daughter of Shimazu Yoshihisa, 16th head of the Shimazu clan, and wife to the 18th clan head, Shimazu Iehisa.

When Yoshihisa was defeated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1587 and forced to submit to Hideyoshi's authority, Kameju was taken as a hostage. She later married Shimazu Iehisa, an adopted son of her uncle Shimazu Yoshihiro.

Kameju died in 1630, and was given the posthumous Buddhist name Jimei-in; from this, she has come to be known affectionately in local stories as "Jimei saa". Her spirit is enshrined at Tsurugane Shrine in Kagoshima, alongside many other members of the Shimazu clan; because of her supposed great beauty, many people are said to pray there, to her spirit, for beauty for themselves.

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References

Plaques on-site at Tsurugane Shrine.[1]