Born: 1165 (Iso district of Aminochō, Tango Province, Japan)
Biography:
Shizuka Gozen, also known as Lady Shizuka, is one of the most famous women in Japanese history and literature. She was born in 1165 in the Iso district of Aminochō, Tango Province, which is now known as a town in Japan. Shizuka was a shirabyōshi, a court dancer, during the 12th century and became the mistress of Minamoto no Yoshitsune, a prominent samurai.
Shizuka’s birthplace has been widely accepted to be in Tango Province, where she is regarded as one of the seven princesses of Tango. The town still has a shrine dedicated to her, and she is considered the principal deity there. Her mother, Iso no Zenji, was also a shirabyōshi.
According to the Gikeiki, a chronicle of Yoshitsune’s life, Shizuka was invited by Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa to dance for rain after the chanting of 100 Buddhist monks failed. Although the other 99 dancers were unsuccessful, Shizuka’s arrival brought the desired effect. Her talent and beauty impressed the emperor, and it was during this time that she met Yoshitsune.
After the end of the Genpei War in 1185, Yoshitsune fled Kyoto, leaving Shizuka behind in Mount Yoshino. The exact details of their separation and the extent of her travels with Yoshitsune vary in different accounts. However, it is known that she was eventually captured by Hōjō Tokimasa and forces loyal to Yoshitsune’s older brother, Yoritomo, who became the first Kamakura shōgun.
In some versions of the story, Shizuka was forced to perform for Yoritomo at Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū, where she sang songs expressing her longing for Yoshitsune. This angered Yoritomo, but his wife, Hōjō Masako, felt sympathy for Shizuka and helped soothe his anger. However, by this time, Shizuka was already pregnant with Yoshitsune’s child. Yoritomo proclaimed that if the child was a daughter, she could live peacefully, but if it was a son, the child would be killed.
At the age of 19, Shizuka gave birth to a son. Adachi Kiyotsune attempted to take the child, but instead, he was given to Shizuka’s mother. Shizuka then made her way back to Kyoto, where she decided to become a Buddhist nun.
Tragically, Shizuka and Yoshitsune’s child were later killed on the orders of Yoritomo. Some versions of the story suggest that Shizuka did not become a nun upon her return and was not killed. Instead, she returned to Kyoto and lived out the rest of her life there.
The story of Shizuka Gozen is well-known in Japanese history and literature. She continues to capture the imagination of people, both through her talent as a dancer and her tragic love affair with Yoshitsune.