Lady Hayakawa

Lady Hayakawa (早川殿, Hayakawa-dono) is a common nickname for one of Ujiyasu's daughters and Ujizane Imagawa's wife. She is best known for marrying into the Imagawa clan as a condition for The Kōsōsun Triple Alliance.

Voice Actors

 * Satomi Sato - Sengoku Musou 4

Historical Information
Lady Hayakawa's origins and her mother are unknown, although she has been argued to either be Ujimasa's elder half-sister, elder sister, or young sister. What is known is that she was sent to marry the seventeen-year old Imagawa Ujizane (Imagawa Yoshimoto's eldest son and successor) in 1554. The marriage alliance renewed peaceful ties between the Hōjō and Imagawa clans, which was previously broken in spite of Ujiyasu's marriage to Yoshimoto's older sister, Zuikein. Lady Hayakawa is famously known today for being the only wife made for the alliance who actually stayed by her husband all their lives.

After Yoshimoto's death, Takeda Shingen threatened to invade Suruga in 1568. Lady Hayakawa and her eldest daughter accompanied Ujizane's escape to Kakegawa Castle. She had nothing to ride during the journey (a standard for maidens of her stature), so Ujiyasu asked the Uesugi forces to provide reinforcements and proper comforts for his daughter. The family continued to flee east to escape the Takeda forces, resting at Tokura Castle and then into Odawara. Lady Hayakawa's personal request led to her family's easy acceptance into her father's territory. It was here that she was formally coined with the name Lady Hayakawa, as she was named after the city her family resided (Hayakawa).

The family stayed there until Ujiyasu's death. According to the Koutei Matsudaira-ki, rumors of Shingen's incoming invasion were prevalent in Odawara Castle. The Hōjō retainers feared he would want to attack and use their ties with Ujizane against them, either have him killed or held as a hostage. When Lady Hayakawa caught wind of the people's unrest, she demanded an explanation from her brother, Ujimasa. Once she learned that her husband was the cause, Lady Hayakawa boldly proclaimed that her family would be leaving Odawara. In 1571, when the Kōsōsun Triple Alliance was again reestablished, her family left for Ujizane's return to Suruga. Along the way, the family relied on Tokugawa Ieyasu at Hamatsu Castle. When the alliance once again broke within the following year, Ujizane and his family decided to stay within Hamatsu. It is generally believed that this was when she was able to give birth to more children for him, although which ones she did remains disputed.

She isn't mentioned by name within records beyond this point, but most historians assume that she kept following Ujizane as he traveled towards the capital and then rested at Edo. She became a nun when he died in Edo in 1613 and died approximately two months after his death –likely due to natural causes. Her current grave stands at Kansen-ji in modern day Suginami, Tokyo.