Otohime

There are currently three people with the same name of Otohime all from the Imperial House, see below:

For the character from Folklore see – Otohime Sama

Otohime (Tatasumichinoushi)

• • Period: Legendary Period
  • Occupation: Princess
  • Family: Tanika no hiko Tatatsumichinoushi (father) Taniha no Kahakami no Masu no Iratsume (mother) Hibasuhime (sister) Mikadawake (brother) Matonuhime (sister) Nubatanoiribika (sister) Azaminoiribime (sister) Takanohime (sister) Utakorihime (sister) Yehime (sister)
  • Birth: –
  • Death: –

Otohime (弟比売命) was the daughter of Taniha no Kahakami no Masu no Iratsume and Tanika no hiko Tatatsumichinoushi.

She is seen mentioned within the kojiki during the events following the attempted murder of Emperor Suinin by Sahobime.

When the Emperor asks his wife/attempted murderer who should remove the girdle that had been placed around their sons waist she replies that it should be Otohime and her sister Yehime as they had unsullied parentage.¹²

Otohime (Emperor Keikō)

• • Period: Legendary Period
  • Occupation: –
  • Family: Yasakairihime (sister)
  • Birth: –
  • Death: –

Otohime was the sister of Yasakairihime. The Emperor Keikō forcefully had sex with her with Otohime afterwards stating the marriage would be inconvenient, that she was ugly, and that she was unworthy of the Emperor.

She then offered her sister as a replacement and the Emperor accepted.³

Otohime (Emperor Keikō’s Daughter)

• • Period: Legendary Period
  • Occupation: –
  • Family: Emperor Keikō (father) Yasakairihime (mother)
  • Birth: –
  • Death: –

Otohime (弟姫皇女) was the daughter of Emperor Keikō and Yasakairihime according to the nihongi.³

The kojiki gives no name for her mother simply stating it was ‘another concubine.’¹²

Footnotes

1. Yasumaro. O, translated by Gustav Heldt. (2014) “Kojiki. An Account of Ancient Matters”. New York: Columbia University Press.
2. Chamberlain, B. H. (1932) “Translation of the Kojiki.” Kobe: J.L. Thompson & Co.
3. Aston. W.G. (1896) “Nihongi Volume 1: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to AD697”. Tuttle Publishing.

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