Japan: Lady Yodo Dono, second wife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and mother of Toyotomi Hideyori (1569-1615).

Yodo-dono or Yodogimi (1569 – 1615) was a prominently-placed figure in the late-Sengoku period. She was a concubine and second wife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who was then the most powerful man in Japan. She also became the mother of his son and successor, Hideyori. She was also known as Lady Chacha. In 1594, the family moved to Fushimi Castle, but tragedy befell them when Hideyoshi died in 1598 and the Toyotomi clan lost much of its influence and importance. Yodo-dono moved to Osaka Castle with her son Hideyori and plotted the restoration of the Toyotomi clan. Tokugawa Ieyasu, who seized control from Hideyori after the death of his father, now viewed Hideyori as an obstacle to his unification of Japan. He laid siege to Osaka Castle in 1614, but the attack fell through, and subsequently he signed a truce with Hideyori. However, in 1615, Ieyasu broke the truce and once again attacked Osaka Castle, and this time he succeeded. Yodo-dono and her son Hideyori committed suicide, thus ending the Toyotomi legacy.

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Supplier: CPA Media Co. Ltd.

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Pictures From History

Theme:

Japanese Rulers, Women in History, Tokugawa Shogunate