The Emperor was the highest authority in the center of aristocratic society and traditional culture, but he granted wide-ranging powers to the samurai Yoritomo to govern the country. This led to Yoritomo becoming known as the shogun when he established the Kamakura shogunate in 1192.
Before becoming shogun, Yoritomo eliminated anyone who might compete with him for power, including his own half-brother. He ordered the pregnant wife of his brother, Shizu, who he had captured, to dance at a shrine in Kamakura, praising him.
As she danced, Shizu sang a poem expressing her longing for the past, when her loved ones called her name repeatedly like the sound of weaving cloth. This was a remarkable act of singing about her husband in front of Yoritomo.
Her song used a rhetorical technique called honkadori, in which famous lines from existing poems are incorporated into a new poem to give it a double meaning or expand its meaning. It is clear that she was a cultured woman who knew the honkadori poem from The Ise Stories.
The honkadori poem expressed nostalgia for the past when things were peaceful and happy. Shizu added her own memories and feelings for her husband to the poem.
This is the surface meaning of her song. However, due to the many homonyms in the Japanese language, words with different meanings but the same pronunciation can be used to create a hidden meaning.
The hidden meaning of Shizu’s song was “Oh, despicable Yoritomo, may you become as despicable as you were before.” Yoritomo was captivated by her beautiful dance, but halfway through he realized the hidden meaning and became furious, attempting to kill her.
Yoritomo’s wife was impressed by Shizu’s determination and intervened to stop him from killing her, risking her own life in the process.
This all took place at the Tsuruoka Hachiman Shrine in Kamakura. From the top of the high stone steps, you can overlook the dance stage just like the triumphant Yoritomo did. By visiting this site, you can also appreciate the strength of character shown by Shizu, who stood by her convictions even in the face of danger.