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The Story Behind the Japanese Expression "Tama no Koshi" (玉の輿)

Have you ever heard the Japanese expression "Tama no Koshi" (玉の輿)?

 

Today, it refers to someone who marries into wealth or a higher social class. In English, the closest expressions are "to marry rich" or "to marry into a wealthy family." But the origin of this phrase is uniquely Japanese and goes back to the Edo period.

 

The story centers on a young woman named Otama, who was born into an ordinary family in Kyoto. According to tradition, she later became a concubine of Tokugawa Iemitsu, the third shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate. She eventually gave birth to a son who became Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, the fifth shogun. As her status rose, she was given the title Keishōin.

 

As a woman of such high rank, Otama was carried in an elegant koshi—a traditional palanquin reserved for nobles and members of the ruling class. People began referring to her as "Otama on a koshi" (Otama no Koshi). Over time, the expression was shortened to "Tama no Koshi," and it became a popular phrase describing someone whose marriage dramatically improved their social standing.

 

Whether every detail of the story is historically verifiable is still debated by historians, but the expression has remained part of the Japanese language for centuries. Today, "Tama no Koshi" is often used lightheartedly to describe someone who marries into wealth or privilege.

 

Like many Japanese expressions, its origin reminds us that everyday language often preserves fascinating pieces of history. Behind a simple phrase lies a story of social mobility, changing fortunes, and a woman whose life became legendary enough to shape the Japanese language itself.