Jukei-ni

Jukei-ni (寿桂尼, 1490 - 11 April 1568) was a Japanese noble lady who acted as the power behind the throne or de facto daimyo of the Imagawa clan during the Sengoku period. She was born in the aristocrat Nakamikado Family of Kyoto. Jukei-ni was the wife of Imagawa Ujichika and mother of Imagawa Ujiteru, Imagawa Yoshimoto and Zukei-ni. She acted as guardian and advisor for Ujichika, Ujiteru, Yoshimoto and her grandson Imagawa Ujizane. Jukei-ni is also known as Onna Daimyo and "Amamidai", once proclaimed that she would "protect Imagawa to her grave".

== Life == She was a daughter of the Dainagon Nakamikado Nobutane, and was from the Nakamikado clan, an aristocrat family close to the Emperor in Kyoto. There are no details about her early life and her real name, she is best known by her Dharma name, Imagawa Jukei-ni (寿桂 尼). She politically married Imagawa Ujichika, the lord of two provinces - Suruga and Tōtōmi, between 1505-1508. The Imagawa family was known for its affinity for the arts and maintained strong relations with Kyoto after Jukei-ni's entry into the Imagawa clan.