Narasaki Ryō

Narasaki Ryō

Narasaki Ryō (楢崎龍, July 23, 1841 – January 15, 1906) was a Japanese woman and the wife of Sakamoto Ryōma, an architect of the Meiji Restoration. She is commonly called Oryō (お龍) in Japan.

Marriage and politics

Oryō is best known for saving the life of her future husband four years after the 1862 Teradaya Incident.[1] While working at Kyoto's Teradaya Inn, taking a bath, Oryō overheard the arrival of the assassins from her bathtub and ran naked through the inn to warn Sakamoto and his allies.[2] Sakamoto escaped with slight injuries, and they were married soon after.

Sakamoto's injuries during the attacks lead them to visit several hot springs in Kagoshima that were believed to have healing properties, in what has been said to be the first Japanese honeymoon.[3]

She was active in political affairs via her husband during the Late Tokugawa Shogunate and the Meiji Period.

Later years and death

After Ryōma's assassination, she married the merchant Nishimura Matsubē (西村松兵衛), and adopted her sister's child, who died while young.[4] In her later years, Oryō suffered from alcoholism.[5] Despite the fame of her first husband, Oryō died in poverty at the age of 64.

References

  1. ↑ http://muza-chan.net/japan/index.php/blog/history-romance-teradaya-kyoto "History and Romance at the Teradaya, Kyoto"
  2. ↑ ja:寺田屋事件
  3. ↑ http://mamono.2ch.net/test/read.cgi/newsplus/1224144394/-100
  4. ↑ 松兵衛の除籍簿写に「楢崎て以（貞）ノ孫入籍　養嗣子松之助　明治七年八月十五日生」とある。鈴木かほる『史料が語る　坂本龍馬の妻お龍』p128-131
  5. ↑ 阿井景子『龍馬と八人の女性』p196-197、p200
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