Yamanote Dono (山手殿)
Yamanote dono (year of birth unknown - July 20, 1613) was a woman who lived from the Sengoku period (period of warring states) through the Azuchi-Momoyama period to the Edo period. She was the lawful wife of Masayuki SANADA. The opinion that her origin was a daughter of Yoritada UDA is the most influential. She gave birth to several children, such as Muramatsu dono, Nobuyuki SANADA, and Nobushige (later Yukimura) SANADA. She was commonly called Kyo no Gozen.
About 1564, she got married to Kihei MUTO (later Masayuki SANADA).
Because she had stayed in Osaka immediately before the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, she was taken as a hostage by Mitsunari ISHIDA, but she escaped from confinement thanks to the effort of Tsunaie KAWAHARA. On January 17, 1601, Masayuki and Nobushige as father and son were to be confined at Kudoyama along with 16 vassals and Nobushige's wife and children, but Yamanote dono was taken in by Nobuyuki and stayed at Ueda-jo Castle. Later, she became a priestess and renamed herself Kanshoin.
About 1601, she began living in Dairin-ji Temple. In 1611 Masayuki died, and two years later she committed suicide on the day that fell on the second anniversary of Masayuki's death. Her homyo (a Buddhist name given to a person who has died or has entered the priesthood) was Kanshoinden Hogetsu Myokan Daishi. She was buried in Dairin-ji Temple (in Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture) and Dairin-ji Temple (in Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture).