Originally, she was the Inju (chief of temple) of Keiko-in Temple in Ise Province and, when she had an audience with Iemitsu in 1639, Iemitsu fell in love with her and she was called by Kasuga no tsubone to enter ooku (the inner halls of Edo-jo Castle where the wife and concubine of the Shogun and their female servants reside).
初めは伊勢国慶光院の院主だったが、寛永16年（1639年）に家光に謁見した時に見初められ、春日局によって大奥入りする。