Tsumaki Hiroko

Tsumaki Hiroko
CHARACTER INFORMATION
CLAN\ALLIANCE(S)	Tsumaki Akechi Saitō Asakura Oda
HEIGHT	5'6
WEAPON/S	Chained Daggers (1 ~ 4) Naginata (5)
SIGNIFICANT BATTLE(s)	Inabayama Kyoto Kanegasaki Nagashino Ishiyama Honnōji Yamazaki
PLAYABLE DEBUT	Samurai Warriors
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
REAL NAME	Tsumaki Hiroko
JAPANESE NAME	妻木 煕子
BORN	1530
DIED	1576

Tsumaki Hiroko ( 妻木 煕子 ) is the daughter of Tsumaki Norihiro and the famed wife of Akechi Mitsuhide. She tirelessly supported her husband throughout his journey, steadfast in guiding him when his emotions became turbulent, and remained as his pillar of support throughout the large remainder of his life.

Role In Games

Samurai Warriors

Personality

Hiroko is a stern, no-nonsense woman and prides herself in being strong of both mind and body despite her physical imperfections. She speaks her mind and is blunt about her judgement of character, unafraid of the reactions of others and stands tall in the face of threats. She calls others out on their bluff, but her pride as well makes her refuse to recede when she is proven wrong. Sometimes, she needs to be pulled back and be forced to reevaluate her actions and the consequences that will follow.

She has a damaged pride that she is overcompensating for, which leads to her stubbornly insisting on acting independently and being someone to rely on. Hiroko is not actually often aware of this, still coming to terms with her past shame. Sometimes, she has to be reminded to let her guard down and that her vulnerabilities are valid. More often than not it is Mitsuhide's struggles that soften her, allowing her to show a more sensitive side that she often reserves.

Hiroko is the kind of woman who needs to be told to relax once in a while. She feels that she is duty bound and thus cannot seem to rest unless everything is in the clear. While she is commended for her tenacity, she is similar to her husband in a way that she does not stop to rest and recuperate. She does not follow the advice she gives to others, and often needs the advice thrown back at her. Hiroko eventually learns to accept the care of others as it is, instead of seeing it as a show of pity.

Voice Actors

• [ name ] - [ which game ] ( english or japanese )

Quotes

• "TBA"
• "TBA"
• "TBA"
  ~ "TBA" and "TBA"

Historical Information

Tsumaki Hiroko lived during the Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. She was the formal wife of Akechi Mitsuhide. In addition to the name of Hiroko, she is variously known as Omaki-no-kata, Omaki, and Fuseya-hime, with her actual name uncertain. The name Hiroko likely originated from the name of her father – Tsumaki Norihiro. She may have had as many as three sons and four daughters, although some of the children may have been from different mothers.

While the date of her birth is unknown, based on one theory, she was born as the eldest daughter around 1530. According to one authenticated source, she was the daughter of Tsumaki Norihiro and the mother of Hosokawa Gracia (the wife of Hosokawa Tadaoki and a Christian convert).

Hiroko and Mitsuhide were said to have gotten along very well. Just prior to their marriage, she contracted smallpox which left marks on her left cheek, but Mitsuhide did not mind. In 1556, Mitsuhide supported Saitō Dōsan at the Battle of Nagaragawa. There is an anecdote that, after Saitō Yoshitatsu (the eldest son of Dōsan who was in an internal conflict with him) toppled Akechi Castle, Mitsuhide carried a pregnant Hiroko on his back while fleeing to Echizen Province.

Having lost his main base and becoming a rōnin, or wandering samurai, Mitsuhide moved from Mino to Echizen and served Asakura Yoshikage. Despite enduring difficult times, Mitsuhide hosted a renga (linked-verse poetry) event. Based on another anecdote, Hiroko was aware of the struggles confronted by Mitsuhide to prepare for the banquet and sold her own black hair to cover expenses.

On 10/14 of 1576, Hiroko fell ill. Mitsuhide requested prayers from Yoshida Kanemi (a Shintō priest) for her convalescence. She recovered on 10/24, so silver pieces were donated to give thanks at the shrine. On 11/2, Kanemi paid a visit to Hiroko at the quarters of Mitsuhide in Kyōto to wish for her continuing recovery and met with Mitsuhide.

She died either on 11/7 of 1576. Under another theory, the date was 6/7 of 1576. She was either 36, 42, or 46 years old. The exhaustion experienced while caring for Mitsuhide during a serious illness was said to have contributed to her own demise.