Background
Akoya was born in 1190 in Japan.
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Akoya _
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Personality
Noted for her beauty and as a koto (13-stringed harp) player. Kagekiyo was kept in a dungeon in Kamakura after he was caught for planning to assassinate Shogun Yoritomo of the rival Minamoto Family. When he escaped from the dungeon, Akoya was suspected of knowing where Kagekiyo fled. She was caught and brought to Kyoto for questioning by Shigetada Hatakeyama and Saemon Iwanaga, retainers of Yoritomo. Because Akoya insisted she did not know where her lover was, the two retainers made Akoya play the koto from morning till night for consecutive days. They thought that if she was lying her music would be troubled. But as she played on calmly and beautifully, she was acquitted. The incident is well-known as a Kabuki play.
