Who Is The Shrine Princess (Lady Rokujō's Daughter) (Akikonomu)?
Lady Rokujō's daughter, sent to Ise
The Ise Priestess (Saigū; later Empress Akikonomu)
The Shrine Princess is Lady Rokujō's daughter in The Tale of Genji. The Saigū (Ise Priestess) was an unmarried woman of the imperial family chosen to serve at Ise Grand Shrine on the emperor's behalf, and this princess was chosen for the role at around the age of fourteen.
In Episode 2, "Sakaki," her appointment to Ise is what leads her mother, Lady Rokujō, to decide to leave the capital with her. On the day of departure, a farewell ceremony is held in the Daigokuden, the great hall of the palace, where the emperor places a comb in the Shrine Princess's hair.
She later returns to the capital, becomes a consort of Emperor Reizei, and comes to be known as Empress Akikonomu.
