Tamagaki (たまがき)

Tamagaki (also known as Tamakaki, year of birth and death unknown) was the younger sister of Moriyoshi FUKUMOTO, who had the title of shokan (an officer governing shoen (manor)) of the estate of Niiminosho (Niimi City, Okayama Prefecture) of the Kyoto Kyoogokoku-ji Temple and Sotsuibushi (government post in charge of police and military roles).

The historical documents that dealt directly with Tamagaki were limited to 'Tamakaki Letter' and 'Yusei Chushin jo' (a letter reporting about annual estate income from Yusei) within 'Toji Hyakugomonjo Document' (stored in Kyoto Prefectural Library and Archives).

According to references, Tamagaki took care of Yusei, who was the monk of To-ji Temple that was assigned to Niimi, as the direct governor from To-ji Temple in 1462.

Yusei was beheaded by the relatives of Toyooka that lived in the estate of Sokokuji, as a result of exiling Toyooka, who was responsible for evading taxes in August 1463.

The letter she wrote asking for the remaining goods of Yusei was 'Tamakaki Letter,' and is one of the rare historical manuscripts written by a peasant woman during the medieval period.

There is a monument for Tamagaki at the site of the residence of Fukumoto gyobu no jo in the western side of Niimi City.

[Original Japanese]