Takatsukasa Fusako (鷹司房子)
Fusako TAKATSUKASA (October 12, 1653 - May 19, 1712) was a member of the Japanese Imperial Family. She was the second consort of Emperor Reigen who lived during the Edo period. Her father was Norihira TAKATSUKASA who was a Sadaijin (the Minister of the Left) at the rank of Juichii (Junior First Rank) and her mother was the daughter of Dainagon (chief councilor of state) Tamemitsu REIZEI. Her half brothers were Kanpaku (chancellor) Fusasuke TAKATSUKASA, Sadaijin Kaneharu KUJO and Jokoin Nobuko TAKATSUKASA who was a consort of Tsunayoshi TOKUGAWA. According to a theory, Fusako was a younger sister of Norihira TAKATSUKASA and became his yushi (another's child considered as one's own). Since she was given a nyoingo (a title of respect given to close female relatives of the Emperor or a woman of comparable standing), some people called her Shinjosaimonin Fusako.
On November 21, 1669, she got married to Emperor Reigen who was one year older than she was and became a nyogo (court lady). On May 9, 1673, the Imperial Palace was destroyed by fire and the residence of Udaijin (minister of the right) Motohiro KONOE was used as a temporary Imperial Palace. In fact, the former emperor, Emperor Gosai used Motohiro KONOE's residence as a temporary Imperial Palace due to the fire in January 1661. In the midst of all this, Fusako got pregnant and gave birth to Imperial Princess Masako on August 23 of the same year. Due to the great fire in Kyoto which spread to the Imperial Palace, the era name was changed to Enpo, but on November 25, 1675 (Enpo 3) after the new Imperial Court was completed, Motohiro KONOE's residence, the temporary Imperial Court was also hit by fire. Emperor and his second consort, Fusako temporarily stayed at Kanetsura YOSHIDA's residence, then entered the new Imperial Palace on November 27.
On December 7, 1682, she received the Imperial order to be ranked as Jusango, then officially became the second consort of Emperor Reigen by royal edict on February 14, the next year. She became the Empress as a legal wife, there are only 4 cases, including Fusako, where a legal wife became the Empress during the Edo period. Emperor Reigen transferred his imperial throne to Emperor Higashiyama on March 21, 1687. Fusako received the Imperial order to be given a nyoingo, Shinjosaimonin on March 25 of the same year along with the emperor's abdication. In July 1695, she was awarded a territory of 1,000 koku (Japanese measurement unit) by the bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun). She passed away on April 14, 1712. Her grave is located at Tsukinowa no misasagi (the Tsukinowa Mausoleum), Senzan-cho, Imagumano, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture.