Hiwadahime (檜皮姫)

Hiwadahime (1230 - May 13, 1247) was a woman who was a member of the Hojo family during the middle of the Kamakura period. She was the daughter of Tokiuji HOJO and the legal wife of the fifth shogun of the Kamakura bakufu, FUJIWARA no Yoritsugu.

When Hiwadahime's grandfather who was the third regent, Yasutoki HOJO died, her brother Tsunetoki HOJO took his position at the age of 19. The anti-Tokuso family headed by the shogun FUJIWARA no Yoritsune later had a conflict with the regent from the Hojo family. Tsunetoki forced the shogun Yoritsune to abdicate his position and placed Yoritsune's son, FUJIWARA no Yoritsugu as shogun at the age of 6. On July 26, 1245, Tsunetoki made his sixteen-year-old sister Hiwadahime marry the new shogun Yoritsugu as his legal wife when he was seven years old. They were married on the black-letter day despite the objections of others. After this marriage, the Hojo clan regained the position as the shogun's maternal relatives that had been lost since the death of Yoritsune's legal wife, Take no Gosho.

However, Tsunetoki died in 1246, and the confrontation escalated between the shogun's side and Tsunetoki's brother, Tokiyori HOJO who took over the position of regent. Hiwadahime became sick and died at the age of 18 on May 13, 1247 in spite of an incantation and prayer for her. It was a month prior to the battle of Hoji.

[Original Japanese]