Lady Nijō (後深草院二条, Go-Fukakusain no Nijō) (1258 – after 1307) was a Japanese noblewoman, poet and author. She was a concubine of Emperor Go-Fukakusa from 1271 to 1283, and later became a Buddhist nun. After years of travelling, around 1304–07 she wrote a memoir, Towazugatari ("An Unasked-For Tale", commonly translated into English as The Confessions of Lady Nijō), the work for which she is known today, and which is also the only substantial source of information on her life.
Lady Nijō was a member of the Koga family, a branch of the Minamoto clan descended from Emperor Murakami through Prince Tomohira, his seventh son.[1] The clan's station at court was established through the allegiance made by Tomohira's son, Minamoto no Morofusa, with Emperor Go-Sanjō.[1] Lady Nijō's father and paternal grandfather held important positions at the imperial court, and many of her relatives and ancestors had high reputations for their literary abilities. Her real name does not survive. The name "Nijō" was given to her at the court: it was common practice at the time to designate court ladies by street names, and "Nijō" ("Second Avenue") designates a high rank. It indicates proximity to the First Ward, which is where the Imperial household was located.[2]
According to the Towazugatari, Emperor Go-Fukakusa was in love with Nijō's mother, Sukedai. However, she died shortly after Nijō was born, and Go-Fukakusa turned his affections to Nijō. She was taken to the court at the age of four, and was subsequently raised there. In 1271, Nijō, aged 14, was given by her father to Go-Fukakusa as a concubine.[3] It is unclear whether Nijō should be considered a formal wife (seisai) or a concubine (meshudo): there is evidence in the Confessions to support both interpretations.[4]
Nijō's life at the court was plagued by numerous troubles. Her father died when she was 15 and it hampered her circumstance because there was no influential figure to advance her cause.[5] Her relationship with the emperor also became strained from the beginning, because she took several other lovers over the years, including one whom she knew before becoming a concubine. Matters were complicated further by Nijō's pregnancies: the only child she bore to Go-Fukakusa died in infancy, and the other three children she had were not by the emperor. Go-Fukakusa's consort, Higashi-nijō, was greatly displeased with Nijō's behaviour and Go-Fukakusa's apparent affinity for the concubine. Ultimately, it was due to Higashi-nijō's request that Nijō was expelled from the court in 1283.[6]
Religious life
Nijō's life after leaving the imperial court are revealed in Books 4 and 5 of Towazugatari. Like many women in Medieval Japan whose lives met with unfortunate circumstances, Nijō became a Buddhist nun. She traveled to saсred and historical places, following the footsteps of the famous poet and priest, Saigyō,[6] returning to the capital regularly. Kimura Saeko notes that some of these visits never actually took place, meaning that sections of Nijō's travels are fictionalised.[4] Book 4 begins in 1289, skipping several years (thus leading scholars to believe that some material may be missing); Book 5 skips some more years and describes Nijō's grief at Go-Fukakusa's death in 1304. Towazugatari ends in 1306, and nothing is known about what happened to Nijō afterwards or when she died.
Towazugatari
Towazugatari was written c. 1307 and covers events of the period from 1271 to 1306.The work is considered one of the greatest works of Japanese literature,[7] as well being a rare account of events not typically recorded in premodern Japanese literary works, such as sexual coercion.[8]
Nijō's autobiography did not enjoy wide circulation, potentially due to later factionalism that split the imperial family or the fact that Nijō's portrayal of Emperor Go-Fukakusa was both intimate and humanising.[7] A single 17th-century copy was discovered among the holdings of the Imperial Household in 1940 by Yamagishi Tokuhei,[9] with several gaps in Book 5, noted by the scribe. The book was published in 1950, with a complete annotated edition following in 1966. There are two English translations:
Karen Brazell. The Confessions of Lady Nijo. A Zenith book published by Arrow Books Ltd., London, 1973. ISBN0-600-20813-3
Wilfrid Whitehouse and Eizo Yanagisawa. Lady Nijo's own story; Towazugatari: the candid diary of a thirteenth-century Japanese imperial concubine. Tuttle, Rutland, Vt. 1974. ISBN0-8048-1117-2
^ abMarra, Michele; Marra, Michael F. (1991). The Aesthetics of Discontent: Politics and Reclusion in Medieval Japanese Literature. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. p. 104. ISBN0-8248-1336-7.
^Chakrabarti, Chandana; Haist, Gordon (2020). Revisiting Mysticism. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 8. ISBN978-1-84718-558-7.
^Shirane, Haruo (2012). Traditional Japanese Literature: An Anthology, Beginnings to 1600, Abridged Edition. New York: Columbia University Press. p. 383. ISBN978-0-231-15730-8.
^ ab国際文化教育センター., 城西大学. (2007). Aspects of classical Japanese travel writing. Center for Inter-Cultural Studies and Education, Josai University. OCLC 603749273.
^Musume, Nakanoin Masatada no; Brazell, Karen (1976). The Confessions of Lady Nijō. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. pp. ix. ISBN0-8047-0929-7.
^ abcWhitehouse, Wilfrid; Yanagisawa, Eizo (1974). Lady Nijo's Own Story: The Candid Diary of a Thirteenth-Century Japanese Imperial Concubine. Rutland and Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle.
^ ab"Preface". The Confessions of Lady Nijō. Translated by Karen Brazell. Stanford: Stanford University Press. 1976. ISBN0-8047-0930-0.
^Tonomura, Hitomi (2006). "Coercive sex in the medieval Japanese court". Monumenta Nipponica. 61 (3): 283–338. doi:10.1353/mni.2006.0036. JSTOR 25066446. S2CID 162292906.
^Jones, T. C. (23 December 2017). "'The Confessions of Lady Nijo': a memoir of timeless depth and beauty". The Japan Times. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
January 07, 2023
lady, nijō, 後深草院二条, fukakusain, nijō, 1258, after, 1307, japanese, noblewoman, poet, author, concubine, emperor, fukakusa, from, 1271, 1283, later, became, buddhist, after, years, travelling, around, 1304, wrote, memoir, towazugatari, unasked, tale, commonly, . Lady Nijō 後深草院二条 Go Fukakusain no Nijō 1258 after 1307 was a Japanese noblewoman poet and author She was a concubine of Emperor Go Fukakusa from 1271 to 1283 and later became a Buddhist nun After years of travelling around 1304 07 she wrote a memoir Towazugatari An Unasked For Tale commonly translated into English as The Confessions of Lady Nijō the work for which she is known today and which is also the only substantial source of information on her life Lady NijōNative nameごふかくさいんのにじょう後深草院二条Born1258 1258 Kamakura JapanOccupationImperial consort Buddhist nun writerLanguageLate Middle JapanesePeriodKamakura periodGenreDiaryYears activeearly 14th century CENotable worksTowazugatariSpouseEmperor Go FukakusaPartnerSaionji SanekanePrince ShojoChildren4RelativesKoga Michiteru paternal grandfather Minamoto no Michichika paternal great grandfather Contents 1 Court life 2 Religious life 3 Towazugatari 4 Genealogy 4 1 Ancestors 4 2 Issue 5 In contemporary culture 6 ReferencesCourt life EditLady Nijō was a member of the Koga family a branch of the Minamoto clan descended from Emperor Murakami through Prince Tomohira his seventh son 1 The clan s station at court was established through the allegiance made by Tomohira s son Minamoto no Morofusa with Emperor Go Sanjō 1 Lady Nijō s father and paternal grandfather held important positions at the imperial court and many of her relatives and ancestors had high reputations for their literary abilities Her real name does not survive The name Nijō was given to her at the court it was common practice at the time to designate court ladies by street names and Nijō Second Avenue designates a high rank It indicates proximity to the First Ward which is where the Imperial household was located 2 According to the Towazugatari Emperor Go Fukakusa was in love with Nijō s mother Sukedai However she died shortly after Nijō was born and Go Fukakusa turned his affections to Nijō She was taken to the court at the age of four and was subsequently raised there In 1271 Nijō aged 14 was given by her father to Go Fukakusa as a concubine 3 It is unclear whether Nijō should be considered a formal wife seisai or a concubine meshudo there is evidence in the Confessions to support both interpretations 4 Nijō s life at the court was plagued by numerous troubles Her father died when she was 15 and it hampered her circumstance because there was no influential figure to advance her cause 5 Her relationship with the emperor also became strained from the beginning because she took several other lovers over the years including one whom she knew before becoming a concubine Matters were complicated further by Nijō s pregnancies the only child she bore to Go Fukakusa died in infancy and the other three children she had were not by the emperor Go Fukakusa s consort Higashi nijō was greatly displeased with Nijō s behaviour and Go Fukakusa s apparent affinity for the concubine Ultimately it was due to Higashi nijō s request that Nijō was expelled from the court in 1283 6 Religious life EditNijō s life after leaving the imperial court are revealed in Books 4 and 5 of Towazugatari Like many women in Medieval Japan whose lives met with unfortunate circumstances Nijō became a Buddhist nun She traveled to sasred and historical places following the footsteps of the famous poet and priest Saigyō 6 returning to the capital regularly Kimura Saeko notes that some of these visits never actually took place meaning that sections of Nijō s travels are fictionalised 4 Book 4 begins in 1289 skipping several years thus leading scholars to believe that some material may be missing Book 5 skips some more years and describes Nijō s grief at Go Fukakusa s death in 1304 Towazugatari ends in 1306 and nothing is known about what happened to Nijō afterwards or when she died Towazugatari EditTowazugatari was written c 1307 and covers events of the period from 1271 to 1306 The work is considered one of the greatest works of Japanese literature 7 as well being a rare account of events not typically recorded in premodern Japanese literary works such as sexual coercion 8 Nijō s autobiography did not enjoy wide circulation potentially due to later factionalism that split the imperial family or the fact that Nijō s portrayal of Emperor Go Fukakusa was both intimate and humanising 7 A single 17th century copy was discovered among the holdings of the Imperial Household in 1940 by Yamagishi Tokuhei 9 with several gaps in Book 5 noted by the scribe The book was published in 1950 with a complete annotated edition following in 1966 There are two English translations Karen Brazell The Confessions of Lady Nijo A Zenith book published by Arrow Books Ltd London 1973 ISBN 0 600 20813 3 Wilfrid Whitehouse and Eizo Yanagisawa Lady Nijo s own story Towazugatari the candid diary of a thirteenth century Japanese imperial concubine Tuttle Rutland Vt 1974 ISBN 0 8048 1117 2Genealogy EditAncestors Edit Ancestors of Lady Nijō8 Minamoto no Michichika源 通親4 Koga Michiteru久我 通光9 Fujiwara no Hanshi藤原 範子2 Minamoto no Masatada jp 源 雅忠10 Fujiwara no Norimitsu jp 藤原 範光5 Kousuke督 典侍11 1 Lady Nijō後深草院二条12 Shijo no Tachihira四条隆衡6 Shijo no Takachika jp 四条 隆親13 3 Dainagon Tenji Chikako大納言 典侍 近子14 7 15 Issue Edit Partners and their respective issue 6 Emperor Go Fukakusa 後深草天皇 28 June 1243 17 August 1304 First son 1273 1274 Saionji Sanekane 西園寺 実兼 1249 21 October 1322 First daughter 1275 Prince Shojo d 1281 Second son 1281 Third son 1282 In contemporary culture EditLady Nijō appears as an important character in Act I of Caryl Churchill s play Top Girls References Edit a b Marra Michele Marra Michael F 1991 The Aesthetics of Discontent Politics and Reclusion in Medieval Japanese Literature Honolulu University of Hawaii Press p 104 ISBN 0 8248 1336 7 Chakrabarti Chandana Haist Gordon 2020 Revisiting Mysticism Newcastle upon Tyne Cambridge Scholars Publishing p 8 ISBN 978 1 84718 558 7 Shirane Haruo 2012 Traditional Japanese Literature An Anthology Beginnings to 1600 Abridged Edition New York Columbia University Press p 383 ISBN 978 0 231 15730 8 a b 国際文化教育センター 城西大学 2007 Aspects of classical Japanese travel writing Center for Inter Cultural Studies and Education Josai University OCLC 603749273 Musume Nakanoin Masatada no Brazell Karen 1976 The Confessions of Lady Nijō Stanford CA Stanford University Press pp ix ISBN 0 8047 0929 7 a b c Whitehouse Wilfrid Yanagisawa Eizo 1974 Lady Nijo s Own Story The Candid Diary of a Thirteenth Century Japanese Imperial Concubine Rutland and Tokyo Charles E Tuttle a b Preface The Confessions of Lady Nijō Translated by Karen Brazell Stanford Stanford University Press 1976 ISBN 0 8047 0930 0 Tonomura Hitomi 2006 Coercive sex in the medieval Japanese court Monumenta Nipponica 61 3 283 338 doi 10 1353 mni 2006 0036 JSTOR 25066446 S2CID 162292906 Jones T C 23 December 2017 The Confessions of Lady Nijo a memoir of timeless depth and beauty The Japan Times Retrieved 27 March 2019 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lady Nijō amp oldid 1114913518, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
