Changing of Women Status of Women in Ooku in Edo Periods

Abstract

This article is an attempt to explain the status of women in the Ooku, the Shogun’s inner palace, during the Edo period. The research shows that the Ooku was a large organization that included those that served the Shogun and his family. This organization had a large budget, and the women that worked there had a high income and their positions made them powerful. This was especially true for the Otoshiyori. The ladies that served the Shogun enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle, and when the women combined their power with the Omote, or government, it made them even stronger. Moreover, some mothers of Shoguns originally came from families of farmers and townspeople. However, when they married Shoguns, and their sons became Shoguns, both the mothers and their families received high rewards, especially during the beginning of the Edo period when the Shogunate still had stable financial resources. In conclusion, we can say that the women in the Edo period, especially those living within the Edo Castle, had high financial status and were powerful. Many of them built this status together with the men that served the Shoguns or acquired it from being mothers of Shoguns. It can be clearly seen that economic status strongly influenced the power of the women of the Ooku. In addition, capitalism during the Edo period greatly affected the status of women in the Ooku.