Princess Izumi

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Princess Izumi (泉皇女, Izumi no himemiko^?) (? - 734) was a person in Japan during the Asuka Period and the Nara Period. She was a daughter of Emperor Tenji. Her mother was Lady Shikobuko, whose father was Oshimi no Miyakko Otatsu. She had an elder brother, Prince Kawashima, and an elder sister, Princess Ōe.

Although her sister, Princess Ōe, and other half-sisters got married with Emperor Temmu or his sons, she didn't do it because she was too young. When she reached the age suitable for marriage, she couldn't marry anyone because there were no appropriate men among Emperor Temmu's sons.

In addition to that unlucky condition, her brother Prince Kawashima betrayed Prince Ōtsu and his followers, and they were all punished. Because of that, Prince Kawashima and his relatives became the targets of criticism. She might have felt small for those circumstances. After Prince Kawashima and Princess Ōe passed away several years later, she was completely isolated.

She was selected by divination as the Saio in 701 when she was in her thirties, because the Saio of that year, Princess Taki, was suddenly dismissed. In principle, a newly selected Saio was supposed to make preparation by staying in the Abstinence-house near the capital for two years prior to going to Ise. However, she was in the Abstinence-house for over five years fom 701 to 706. Plus, she stayed in the Saikū in Ise for only half a year and was made to retire from the post. These unprecedented cases might be because of some political intentions.

She was almost 40 years old when she returned back to the capital. She could not marry anyone as she became too old, and lived a single life until she died in 734 in her sixties.