Weeping at the News, Then Taking Vows to Pray for His Soul — Tora Gozen's Fidelity
After Juro Sukenari was killed at the Fuji vendetta of 1193, the courtesan Tora Gozen of Oiso received the news of his death and was overcome with grief. The following year, at 19, she entered the Buddhist priesthood and traveled to Zenko-ji in Shinano, spending her days in devotional prayer for his soul—so the Tale of the Soga relates. A stone called the "Tora-goishi" remains in Oiso to this day, said to have been a cherished possession she guarded. Her unwavering fidelity was highly regarded as a symbol of the tragic loves of the warrior world, and in the Edo period she was depicted in countless ukiyo-e prints and popular tales. Oiso remains a place associated with Tora Gozen that draws visitors to this day.