Kudara-O-Myoshin (780)

Kudara-O-Myoshin was the Chief Lady-in-Waiting to Emperor Kammu's Imperial Court. The highest position that a woman who was not part of the Imperial family could recieve. In the west a Lady-in-Waiting is usually a woman, attached to a court, in charge of managing the household or some other womanly duty. In Japan, however, a Lady-in-Waiting of the court had the trust and the ear of the Emperor and Empress and often acted as an advisor.