Chūjō-hime
| Chūjō-hime | |
|---|---|
Chūjō-hime and the spirit of her wicked stepmother, represented as a snake. The lotuses are a reference to the Lotus Thread embroidery she wove. Woodblock print by Yoshitoshi | |
| Folk tale | |
| Name | Chūjō-hime |
| Also known as | Chūjōhime |
| Country | Japan |
| Origin Date | 8th Century |
| Related | Cinderella |
Chūjō-hime (中将姫, Chūjō-hime, Middle Captain Princess) (also written Chūjō Hime or Hase-Hime) (c. 753?–781?) was by most accounts a daughter of the court noble Fujiwara no Toyonari who escaped persecution at the hands of her stepmother by becoming a nun at the Taima-dera in Nara. There she took on the name Zenshin-ni or the Dharma name Honyo (法如). She has become a folk heroine, the subject of numerous Japanese folktales which celebrate her filial piety. She is sometimes called the Japanese Cinderella.