Matsudaira Teru
Encyclopedia
Matsudaira Teru or Teruhime , (December 13, 1832−February 28, 1884) was an aristocrat in Japan
during the late Edo
and early Meiji period
s. She participated in the siege of Aizuwakamatsu Castle
(Tsuruga Castle) and was the adoptive sister of Matsudaira Katamori
, Military Commissioner of Kyoto and a prominent figure on the Tokugawa Shogunate
's side during the Meiji Restoration
.
of the Iino han
in Kazusa
. Her name, written in authentic kanji is 熈 (Teru). When she was 10 (1842), she was adopted by Matsudaira Katataka
, daimyo
of the Aizu
han. The adoption took place because Katataka had no children; he had two sons and four daughters at that time, but all had died very young. Katataka took a liking to Teruhime during his frequent visits to the Iino family mansion in Edo
. The two hans were closely related to each other, because the first daimyo of the Aizu han and the Iino han were adoptive brothers.
Teru was initially adopted to become the wife of the future heir of the Aizu han. However, Katataka's fifth daughter, Toshihime was born in 1843, and although physically weak, grew up, and took over this role. In 1846, she became the adoptive sister of Matsudaira Katamori, who was adopted by Katataka to marry Toshihime and become the heir of the Aizu han.
Teru's marriage was delayed for several years, because people feared Toshihime would die young. In 1849, Teru was finally given in marriage to Okudaira Masamoto, daimyo of the Nakatsu han. Teru and Masamoto divorced in 1854. Historians have speculated that the divorce may have been related to Masamoto's poor health (he died at a relatively young age) or the fact they did not have any children, but the true reason is unknown. She returned to live in the Aizu han mansion in Edo after the divorce.
, Tokugawa Yoshinobu
. Katamori advised Tokugawa Yoshinobu to fight, but instead received orders that he would be banned from Yoshinobu's castle and Edo. Katamori had no choice but to pull out from Edo and return to Aizuwakamatsu, the capital of the Aizu han. Teru also went to Aizu for her first time. After her arrival, she took the Buddhist tonsure and became a nun. Although Matsudaira Katamori followed the example of the shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu and put himself under house arrest, it soon became evident that the new government had no intentions of seeking a peaceful resolution. This eventually led to the Aizu War and the siege of Aizuwakamatsu Castle (Tsuruga Castle).
Women and children worked alongside men during the siege. Although Teru was a new face in the castle, she quickly became the leader of the over six hundred women and children involved in the siege, partly because Toshihime had died in 1861. The women and children mainly cooked meals, treated the injured, made bullets, and prevented fires when cannonballs were shot into the castle. Additionally, a group of women formed a volunteer infantry called the Aizu Jōshitai to protect Teru. The infantry was led by Nakano Takeko
, who learned naginata from Akaoka Daisuke, who also taught Teruhime.
Suzuki Shingo was Teru's bodyguard during the siege. He had secret orders to assist her suicide if the castle was breached. On a particularly bad day, Shingo panicked under the extreme stress, drew his sword and urged Teru to commit suicide, although the battle was still undecided. He was quickly restrained by onlookers. Teru did not reprimand Shingo for this incident.
in 1884, at the age of 52, and received the posthumous Buddhist name Shōkei-in. She was first buried in the Jokakuji temple in Tokyo, but now rests in the Matsudaira family grave in the Aizu Matsudaira family's graveyard at Aizuwakamatsu City, only a few meters away from where her adoptive brother, Matsudaira Katamori lays.
poetry and calligraphy, and instructed Matsudaira Katamori in these arts. Her most famous poem was composed when Kayano Gonbei
, fourth karo
in the Aizu han, was placed in the care of Hoshina Masaari
of Iino han (Teruhime's birth brother), and was made to commit seppuku
to take responsibility for the Aizu han's role in the Aizu War, in place of Katamori and Nobunori.
The poem in its entirety was as follows:
The poem was sent to Gonbei with a letter and two pieces of silver. The handwritten letter and poem has been designated as a cultural property by the city of Aizuwakamatsu.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
during the late Edo
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
and early Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
s. She participated in the siege of Aizuwakamatsu Castle
Aizuwakamatsu Castle
, also known as Tsuruga Castle is a traditional castle in northern Japan, at the center of the city of Aizuwakamatsu, in Fukushima Prefecture.- History :The castle was constructed by Ashina Naomori in 1384, and was originally named...
(Tsuruga Castle) and was the adoptive sister of Matsudaira Katamori
Matsudaira Katamori
was a samurai who lived in the last days of the Edo period and the early to mid Meiji period. He was the 9th daimyo of the Aizu han and the Military Commissioner of Kyoto during the Bakumatsu period. During the Boshin War, Katamori and the Aizu han fought against the Meiji Government armies, but...
, Military Commissioner of Kyoto and a prominent figure on the Tokugawa Shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
's side during the Meiji Restoration
Meiji Restoration
The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
.
Early life
Matsudaira Teru was born as the third daughter of Hoshina Masamoto, daimyoDaimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
of the Iino han
Han (Japan)
The or domain was the name of the estate belonging to a warrior in Japan after the 17th century. The fiefs of the daimyos of the samurai class of Japan during the Edo period were called han.-Edo period:...
in Kazusa
Kazusa Province
was a province of Japan in the area of modern Chiba Prefecture. It lies on in the middle of the Bōsō Peninsula , whose name takes its first kanji from the name of Awa Province and its second from Kazusa and Shimōsa Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was or .Kazusa is classified as one of the...
. Her name, written in authentic kanji is 熈 (Teru). When she was 10 (1842), she was adopted by Matsudaira Katataka
Matsudaira Katataka
Japanese daimyo lord, ruler of the 230,000 koku Aizu domain in Mutsu Province. Known in his youth as Keizaburō 慶三郎, he was born to Matsudaira Yoshikazu, the lord of the Takasu domain, in Mino. Adopted by Matsudaira Katahiro of Aizu, Katataka succeeded to the family headship, receiving the court...
, daimyo
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
of the Aizu
Aizu
is an area comprising the westernmost third of Fukushima Prefecture in Japan. The principal city of the area is Aizuwakamatsu.During the Edo period, Aizu was a feudal domain known as and part of Mutsu Province.-History:...
han. The adoption took place because Katataka had no children; he had two sons and four daughters at that time, but all had died very young. Katataka took a liking to Teruhime during his frequent visits to the Iino family mansion in Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
. The two hans were closely related to each other, because the first daimyo of the Aizu han and the Iino han were adoptive brothers.
Teru was initially adopted to become the wife of the future heir of the Aizu han. However, Katataka's fifth daughter, Toshihime was born in 1843, and although physically weak, grew up, and took over this role. In 1846, she became the adoptive sister of Matsudaira Katamori, who was adopted by Katataka to marry Toshihime and become the heir of the Aizu han.
Teru's marriage was delayed for several years, because people feared Toshihime would die young. In 1849, Teru was finally given in marriage to Okudaira Masamoto, daimyo of the Nakatsu han. Teru and Masamoto divorced in 1854. Historians have speculated that the divorce may have been related to Masamoto's poor health (he died at a relatively young age) or the fact they did not have any children, but the true reason is unknown. She returned to live in the Aizu han mansion in Edo after the divorce.
The Aizu War and the Siege of Aizuwakamatsu Castle
In 1868, the Tokugawa Shogunate army was defeated in the battle of Toba Fushimi and the new government subsequently stripped all powers from Matsudaira Katamori and the shogunShogun
A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
, Tokugawa Yoshinobu
Tokugawa Yoshinobu
was the 15th and last shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. He was part of a movement which aimed to reform the aging shogunate, but was ultimately unsuccessful...
. Katamori advised Tokugawa Yoshinobu to fight, but instead received orders that he would be banned from Yoshinobu's castle and Edo. Katamori had no choice but to pull out from Edo and return to Aizuwakamatsu, the capital of the Aizu han. Teru also went to Aizu for her first time. After her arrival, she took the Buddhist tonsure and became a nun. Although Matsudaira Katamori followed the example of the shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu and put himself under house arrest, it soon became evident that the new government had no intentions of seeking a peaceful resolution. This eventually led to the Aizu War and the siege of Aizuwakamatsu Castle (Tsuruga Castle).
Women and children worked alongside men during the siege. Although Teru was a new face in the castle, she quickly became the leader of the over six hundred women and children involved in the siege, partly because Toshihime had died in 1861. The women and children mainly cooked meals, treated the injured, made bullets, and prevented fires when cannonballs were shot into the castle. Additionally, a group of women formed a volunteer infantry called the Aizu Jōshitai to protect Teru. The infantry was led by Nakano Takeko
Nakano Takeko
was a Japanese female warrior of the Aizu domain, who fought and died during the Boshin War. Nakano, born in Edo, was the daughter of Nakano Heinai, an Aizu official. She was thoroughly trained in the martial and literary arts, and was adopted by her teacher Akaoka Daisuke...
, who learned naginata from Akaoka Daisuke, who also taught Teruhime.
Suzuki Shingo was Teru's bodyguard during the siege. He had secret orders to assist her suicide if the castle was breached. On a particularly bad day, Shingo panicked under the extreme stress, drew his sword and urged Teru to commit suicide, although the battle was still undecided. He was quickly restrained by onlookers. Teru did not reprimand Shingo for this incident.
After the Aizu War
When the Aizu han surrendered after a one-month siege, Teru was put under house arrest in the Myokokuji temple with Katamori and Matsudaira Nobunori, Katamori's adoptive son. She was later put under custody of the Kishu han. The Iino han, her blood family, successfully campaigned to obtain her custody. She died in the Hoshina family mansion in TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
in 1884, at the age of 52, and received the posthumous Buddhist name Shōkei-in. She was first buried in the Jokakuji temple in Tokyo, but now rests in the Matsudaira family grave in the Aizu Matsudaira family's graveyard at Aizuwakamatsu City, only a few meters away from where her adoptive brother, Matsudaira Katamori lays.
Poetry
Teru was skilled in wakaWaka (poetry)
Waka or Yamato uta is a genre of classical Japanese verse and one of the major genres of Japanese literature...
poetry and calligraphy, and instructed Matsudaira Katamori in these arts. Her most famous poem was composed when Kayano Gonbei
Kayano Gonbei
was a Japanese samurai of the late Edo period, who served the Matsudaira clan of Aizu. He was a karō in the Aizu domain's administration. Kayano served in a senior military role during the Boshin War, he was later imprisoned by the Meiji government and made to commit suicide in...
, fourth karo
KARO
KARO is a radio station licensed to serve Nyssa, Oregon, USA. The station is owned by the Educational Media Foundation.It broadcasts a Contemporary Christian music format as part of the Air 1 network.-History:...
in the Aizu han, was placed in the care of Hoshina Masaari
Hoshina Masaari
Viscount ' was a Japanese daimyo of the late Edo period who was the last ruler of the Iino Domain...
of Iino han (Teruhime's birth brother), and was made to commit seppuku
Seppuku
is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. Seppuku was originally reserved only for samurai. Part of the samurai bushido honor code, seppuku was either used voluntarily by samurai to die with honor rather than fall into the hands of their enemies , or as a form of capital punishment...
to take responsibility for the Aizu han's role in the Aizu War, in place of Katamori and Nobunori.
The poem in its entirety was as follows:
夢うつつ 思ひも分ず 惜しむぞよ まことある名は 世に残れども
Ah, regret! Unheeding of emotion, it is even present in dreams! But true distinction, will remain in the world.
The poem was sent to Gonbei with a letter and two pieces of silver. The handwritten letter and poem has been designated as a cultural property by the city of Aizuwakamatsu.
Miscellaneous Information
- Teruhime has occasionally been portrayed as the true love of Matsudaira Katamori in fictitious historical stories.
- Items used by Teruhime are on display at the Byakkotai Museum in the Tsuruga Castle.