Oneko was the identity assumed by a human woman who lived in Japan in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The name "Oneko" means "humble cat" in Japanese. The woman who became known as Oneko was the granddaughter of the leader of a ninja clan from Koga province. Her clan was opposed to Tokugawa Ieyasu. In 1597, the woman's aunt Kiku accompanied a concubine named Oneko on her journey to Fushimi Castle, the home of Torii Mototada, Tokugawa's retainer, with the intention of spying in Mototada's house. Oneko became sick on the road with a lung illness and was taken to a nearby farm. After Oneko died, the members of her escort were killed and the kunoichi (female agent) was substituted for her.