Lady Sanjō
Lady Sanjō (三条の方, Sanjō no kata) (1521 – August 29, 1570) was a Japanese woman and aristocrat of the Sengoku period. She was the wife of the daimyō, Takeda Shingen. She was the daughter of Sanjō Kinyori, a court noble of Kyoto; her sisters married Hosokawa Harumoto and Honganji Kennyo, respectively. Lady Sanjō married Shingen (then named Harunobu) at age 16. She gave birth to three sons and two daughters.
She was from the noble royal family (Kuge) of the Sanjō. In this respect, she was more of a person with a keen interest in culture than the daimyo, feudal warlords like Takeda Shingen. However, Takeda Shingen granted her own temple, and she quickly established an influential society and a network of key decision makers in Kofu. It is said that she had a very strong connection with Shingen and increased her interest in art, Buddhism and Chinese scriptures.
Cultural references
A modern-day reincarnation of Lady Sanjō appears in the light novel and anime series, Mirage of Blaze. She is one of the secondary characters and member of the Takeda Netherworld Force.