Ōoku

[1] During the reign of the second shogun, Tokugawa Hidetada, Ōoku was established in Edo Castle as a women's room where his official wife (御台所, Midaidokoro), Oeyo, resided.

[2][3][4] Adult men were generally forbidden to enter Ōoku; only the shogun, his male descendants and prepubescent boys who came to visit the maidservants were allowed.

The Nakanomaru (中之丸) was a performance area for Noh plays, although during the reign of the third shōgun it was also the residence of his wife Takatsukasa Takako, who moved there after her third miscarriage.

After a fire destroyed the Honmaru and the Meiji Restoration brought about the end of the shogunate, the Ōoku also ceased to exist.

- Usually a woman who was from a respected and noble family - Held authority similar to the Rōjū in Edo Castle - Did everything from menu checking to poison tasting - Usually women of good social standing and good caliber were chosen - Concubines could be chosen from these women - Many were young girls between the ages of 7 and 16 - Also in charge of inspecting gifts from the various daimyo - Responsible for cleaning meeting places - Usually women in their middle ages adorning haori hakama and wearing their hair in the tonsure style - Occasionally going in and out of the Naka-oku - In charge of the meals for the ambassadors that visited the Ōoku - Excelled at martial arts and also served as a security guard No painting exists of the interior.