Who Is Lady Ochiba Based On?
While Lady Ochiba’s father is based on a couple of real life figures (Azai Nagamasa and Oda Nobunaga), she herself is based on just one woman: Azai Chacha, daughter of Azai Nagamasa. Just as Ruri came to be known as Ochiba-no-kata, Chacha came to be known as “Yodo-no-kata.” Chacha’s story is similar to Ruri’s in many respects but the Shōgun podcast goes into even more detail about how turbulent her young life was. Shōgun writer and podcast host Emily Yoshida explains:
“At just four years old she would become caught in a violent three-year war between her father and forces led by Oda Nobunaga. When her father finally found himself without the hope of a victory, he committed seppuku. Ultimately this led to Chacha’s placement under the protection of Nobunaga, the very man who had defeated her father. But Nobunaga himself was killed just a few years later by Akechi Mitsuhide, who is the real life inspiration for Mariko’s father. And after that, both Chacha and her mother were married into the family of yet another nobleman. And when that nobleman clashed with the Taiko a.k.a. the most powerful man in Japan at the time, Chacha became one of his concubines, the only one who was able to give him a son and heir.”
Shōgun was probably wise to condense Ochiba’s father Nagamasa and the man he initially supported, Nobunaga, into one figure given how much Ochiba has to endure after.
What Does “Ochiba-no-kata” Mean?
At this point you may be a little confused as to how a girl named “Ruri” becomes a woman named “Ochiba.” Thankfully, the aforementioned Shōgun podcast has a succinct answer for us on that front as well. Historian Frederik Cryns explains that, in the Sengoku period, it was considered impolite to use high-ranking women’s given names. You would have to find another way to refer to them. More often than not, that involved adopting a euphemism for the woman that incorporated where she resided.
In the case of “Ochiba-no-kata,” the “Ochiba” portion means “fallen leaves” while “no-kata” indicates a particular direction. Taken together, the full term means something akin to “the lady who lives in the room of the fallen leaves.” Ochiba’s historical inspiration Yodo-no-kata was so-known because she had been granted Yodo Castle by her lord i.e. “The lady from Yodo Castle.”
What Does Lady Ochiba Want?
Lady Ochiba is not particularly pleased about the fact that Mariko’s father killed her father. Interestingly enough though, most of her anger appears to be targeted towards Toranaga instead. She tells Ishido that Jinsai may have been the one who took her father’s life but Toranaga is surely the one who planned it. She’s not a fan of Toranaga’s calculated, plotting nature.
