Before Empress Meishō succeeded as Empress Regnant of Japan, she was known as Oki-ko. She was born on 9 January 1624 as the second daughter of Emperor Go-Mizunoo and Tokugawa Masako. She grew up in the Inner Apartments of the Heian Palace. She was one of at least 33 (half) siblings. Het father abdicated in [read more]