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The ''midaidokoro'' was the principal wife of the shogun, in the [[Edo period]]. She held a status above all other consorts or concubines, and was the ''de facto'' head of the [[Ooku|Ôoku]].

The ''midaidokoro'' was the principal wife of the shogun, in the [[Edo period]]. She held a status above all other consorts or concubines, and was the ''de facto'' head of the [[Ooku|Ôoku]].

Beginning with [[Tokugawa Iemitsu|Tokugawa Iemitsu's] wife [[Takatsukasa Takako]], all ''midai'' over the course of the Edo period came from [[Kyoto]] [[kuge|court noble]] families, either one of the five ''[[sekke]]'' houses ([[Konoe family|Konoe]], [[Ichijo family|Ichijô]], [[Nijo family|Nijô]], [[Kujo family|Kujô]], and [[Takatsukasa family|Takatsukasa]]) or the [[Fushimi family|Fushimi]] or [[Arisugawa family|Arisugawa families]].  

Beginning with [[Tokugawa Iemitsu|Tokugawa Iemitsu's]] wife [[Takatsukasa Takako]], all ''midai'' over the course of the Edo period came from [[Kyoto]] [[kuge|court noble]] families, either one of the five ''[[sekke]]'' houses ([[Konoe family|Konoe]], [[Ichijo family|Ichijô]], [[Nijo family|Nijô]], [[Kujo family|Kujô]], and [[Takatsukasa family|Takatsukasa]]) or the [[Fushimi family|Fushimi]] or [[Arisugawa family|Arisugawa families]].  

Though several shoguns married wives from samurai families (such as [[Tokugawa Iesada|Tokugawa Iesada's]] ''midai'' [[Atsu-hime]], and [[Tokugawa Ienari|Ienari's]] ''midai'' [[Kodai-in (1773-1844)|Kôdai-in]], both daughters of heads of the [[Shimazu clan]]), in these cases too, the wife-to-be was adopted into a court noble family prior to the marriage.

Though several shoguns married wives from samurai families (such as [[Tokugawa Iesada|Tokugawa Iesada's]] ''midai'' [[Atsu-hime]], and [[Tokugawa Ienari|Ienari's]] ''midai'' [[Kodai-in (1773-1844)|Kôdai-in]], both daughters of heads of the [[Shimazu clan]]), in these cases too, the wife-to-be was adopted into a court noble family prior to the marriage.