Her sudden death caused a popular belief that Tsunayoshi was actually killed by Nobuko and Izu no tsubone who was Otoshiyori under Midaidokoro and then Nobuko committed a suicide later ("Nikkokantanmakura"), but this is unreliable.
そのあまりに急な死に、実は綱吉は信子と御台所付御年寄・伊豆局の手によって殺害され、信子はその後自害したという俗説（『日光邯鄲枕』）も残っているが、信憑性に乏しい。