Ōoku: The Inner Chambers (大奥)

Never speak of what you see or hear inside the Ōoku to anyone,

not least to your parents or siblings. - From The Ōoku Code

Sadakichi! Wait, where are you going?

A secret spot for my eyes only!

You watch yourself, Sadakichi!

The wilderness is no place for a lone child!

Return home before the sun sets, all right?

Don't worry, I will!

That child! Playing doesn't help him learn to work the fields.

I found it! It's an otsugatake!

The very first mushroom of the season!

They say that eating the first find will prolong your life.

So I'll make sure my ma eats it.

- - Who's there?

Oh!

Oh!

Sadakichi!

As Sadakichi drew his last breath,

abnormalities began cropping up through the village in the days that followed.

-Hey, Pa? -Hmm?

I feel terribly weak, and I'm burning up.

First, Otokichi, the eldest brother of Sadakichi,

came down with a high fever of unknown cause.

Shortly after, red pustules spread over his entire body.

Four days later, he died.

Two days afterward, the second son, Matasuke, passed away.

Their father, Otomatsu, contracted it six days later.

Sadakichi's mother, Seki, and his little sister Tei were spared,

but Seki knew what was happening.

The god of the mountain must have punished Sadakichi with a plague,

and her son brought it back to the village.

The plague rapidly spread to the neighboring village.

Shortly after, it swept to the village beyond.

Only the men, and the young men at that, were affected by this terrible disease.

Eight out of every ten perished in agony.

In a few years, this plague from a mountain village

spread to all of the Kanto region.

It continued its devastation westward.

And, as there were no means to combat this disease,

the population of men declined at a frightening rate.

The plague came to be known as "red-face smallpox,"

and took root in the country.

DEITY OF RED-FACE SMALLPOX

After nearly 80 years of ravaging the country,

the population of men slowly stabilized at one-fourth that of women.

Women became the labor force in every aspect of daily society.

All trades and occupations passed from mother to daughter.

The institution of marriage collapsed.

Instead, women paid for men in the pleasure district

if they had any desire to bear children.

Getting your own husband became a symbol of privileged status,

reserved only for samurai, rich merchants, and village headmen.

I can't believe it! It sounds like I'll actually be able to get a husband!

- -You're so lucky, I wish I could have one!

Ever since the reign of the third shogun Iemitsu,

women have inherited the powerful position of shogun.

Due to the bureaucratization of the samurai society,

inverting the roles previously held by men to women was a simple feat.

Our liege has arrived! She will grace us with her presence for a morning audience!

Bow in reverence! Her Highness has arrived!

In a time of male scarcity,

only the ruler of the land and supreme leader of the country

was allowed the highest luxury…

Men.

Inside the castle was a palace, wherein 3,000 young, beautiful men lived,

all of which were off-limits to any other woman.

The Inner Chambers, or the Ōoku.

ŌOKU: THE INNER CHAMBERS

Get out my way!

It is now the reign of the seventh shogun, Ietsugu.

APRIL, 1716

I… I yield!

I surrender, Yunoshin. I give up, so have mercy!

Come on now!

Mitamura-san, I know you dropped your wooden sword on purpose.

I have no doubt you could keep going.

-Ready? -

-Just let me lose! -

- I believe that's enough, sir. - Huh?

Not everyone wants to push themselves so hard! Be careful not to fall ill.

What was that, O-Nobu?

Unless you have a reason for me to stop, then I--

- - Hooray! Training's over!

A shame.

Mitamura-san has a good aptitude for it. He just lacks the zeal. Or rather…

Mmm!

He doesn't really take swordsmanship seriously.

Does that surprise you at all?

We are far removed from a time of war.

Now swordsmanship is little more than a hobby for samurai.

Is that so? You're likely sitting there thinking I should dance or sing,

since that'll make me more popular with the ladies?

Oh, no, not at all.

Watching you practice there, with a sword… I liked it.

It-- it's just that, while men are stronger than women,

your constitution is weaker than ours.

I worry you might push yourself too hard and get sick.

I guess I'm an exception, then.

Mmm! Mmm.

Even so, you are already popular.

It happens all the time.

I've seen women flock to you, asking for your seed,

and you haven't refused a single one.

Even in this day and age, you don't ask for payment.

You know that's why they all come to me, right? It's not that I'm popular. Mmm.

You would say that, wouldn't you?

With features such as yours, you could have your pick of any woman you desired.

Yet you only choose to help poor women.

It is a great kindness.

If my dear childhood friend had any wish that I would bed her,

I wouldn't mind it at all.

Hmm…

Enough of that! Such an option is out of the question, as you know.

Course I do.

The heiress of Tajima-ya, the medicinal herb seller.

Your only choice for a husband is another well-to-do merchant.

You can't be caught foolin' around with the son of a poor hatamoto like myself.

Listen, O-Nobu.

Those women who come to me, they're not sleeping with me out of love or affection.

The only thing they want is a child.

On their hands and knees, they beg me with tears in their eyes.

All because they want a purpose in life.

How could I say no? How could I not lend them my help?

There's a name for someone who acts like that.

A womanizing lecher who cannot keep it in his pants.

- Are-- are you kidding me? -Hmph!

I'm doing this out of mercy and compassion! I'm basically Buddha…

- Mmm-mmm! - Young master!

Oh. It's O-Take-san.

Nanny O-Take. Is somethin' wrong?

Yunoshin! This is amazing!

You have received a fantastic marriage proposal!

Why?

-What's that attitude? -Huh?

When your mother tells you such a thing, you are to react graciously

and say, "Yes, Mother, thank you for taking care of me," and do as I say.

The offer is coming from Governor Miura's daughter of the Hizen province,

who commissions temples and shrines.

You've already reached 19.

A good match such as this one will not come around twice.

Do you object to the proposal?

It's not that I'm against it.

I find it all dull…

How you happen to "find it" has no bearing on the matter!

Your job is to marry into a respectable family,

where you are to produce as many children as you can

and be grateful for a good life!

I'm not disagreeing with you, Mother.

But shouldn't you look for a decent husband for my older sister first?

Gah!

You need not concern yourself with your sister's prospects.

Finding Shino a suitable gentleman to marry is a task I will handle in due time.

-Even though we have no money? -

Yunoshin, you don't need to worry about what I'll do.

A husband might be a stretch. Though I'm sure we could pay someone for his seed…

Shut your mouth!

A daughter of a respectable vassal family of the shogun should not say such things!

- Hmm? -The only concerns you need care about

are the ones regarding yourself.

Mother.

Long have I wanted to express my sincerest gratitude to you.

- Hmm? -

When the son of a poor samurai household becomes a man,

it is all too common in this day and age

to rent them to rich families by the night to survive.

So I am grateful to you.

You, my mother, never sold my body to anyone.

Not a single time.

I am truly grateful for the protection you gave me.

And this is why I would ask that you allow me to repay that kindness in turn, Mother.

There is an option that will provide a greater reward

than marrying to become a husband.

You're not saying--

Hmph!

To serve at the Ōoku.

The Inner Chamber of Edo Castle, under our shogun.

It is said that 3,000 beautiful men serve her

where no other woman may enter its halls.

So I ask your permission that I be allowed to enter service at the Ōoku.

- -At the Ōoku?

If I work in the Ōoku, you would have one less mouth to feed,

as well as the compensation for my service.

I could send the money home.

Then it would be simple for my dear sister to have a husband.

Please, I humbly beg of you. Allow my wish to be granted.

Yunoshin, I…

'Cause I kind of already asked my uncle in Akasaka to put a word in for me.

- -

So it's true you're going to the Ōoku…

I'm rather dashing, aren't I?

You truly are going.

I've heard that upon entering service,

you will sooner die than be able to leave again.

Hmm.

You got that right.

I intend to advance through the ranks and serve for the rest of my life.

Know how women aren't allowed in there?