The daughter of Sado no Kami Yasuchika. Following the order of Lord Sanetomo, the Major Captain of the Right Division of Inner Palace Guards, Matsushima was betrothed to Asahina Saburō. However, the incident with Hōjō Tomotoki* led his aunt, Nun Masako, to disapprove of her marriage. Deeply saddened, Matsushima wrote a will to Asahina and surrendered her body to the naked blade. Her age: eighteen. Oh, she truly was courageous.
This brief biography written upon request by Ryūkatei Tanekazu [1807-1858]
*Hōjō Tomotoki (a/k/a Nagoe Tomotoki; 1193-1245) was the son of Hōjō Masako’s brother. According to Matsushima’s legend, Tomotoki fell in love with her when she was already betrothed to Asahina Saburō. Tomotoki’s father made an appeal to his sister, Masako, who was the most powerful individual at the time as the widow of the first Kamakura shogun, Minamoto no Yoritomo. Masako opposed Matsushima’s marriage on her nephew’s behalf.
