Female Samurai

Introduction

We usually imagine brave and mighty men engaging in battle when we all think of Samurai. Since ancient times, traditional ideal Japanese women have been called Yamato Nadeshiko (women who display the feminine virtues of old Japan) and have often represented beauty.

Throughout history, however, some women have been as brave and daring as their male counterparts. Those women who threw themselves into battle and achieved outstanding success in warfare are still frequently recounted stories passed down to this day and are highly representative of solid Japanese women. In this issue, we will introduce some of history’s most prominent and famous female samurai.

Were there ever any female samurai?

Before observing the Samurai women, we should question whether there were any women with swords. Kaiken (pocket dagger), a kind of sword a woman holds, is one of the five accessories a bride should possess. Initially, ladies from Samurai society used to carry these swords for self-defense. Moreover, it also served as a talisman, which made it a necessary item for weddings. 

There was also a place where females carried swords to provide security. That is Oku. Oku is where the heir to the shogun’s throne is born, as represented by the O-oku (the inner halls of Edo-jo Castle where the wife of the Shogun and her female servants reside), where women married to the shogun live. The Oku was not accessible to males except for family members; thus, females provided security.

The women who especially guard the Oku section are called “Betsushikime.” They were also known as “Tachiobime” (banded swordswomen) because they were female martial artists who pointed their swords. As they often served the feudal lords, they occasionally assumed the role of guardians for important persons on their visits to other families. They were also martial artists who were required to be polite and well-educated.

Betsushikime also had the role of teaching swordsmanship to women who wished to become Betsushikime as well. The uniquely female approach to instructing swordsmanship seemed to be in very high demand from people of the same gender and proved very useful.

In addition, there is Naginata (Japanese halberd), another weapon traditionally handled by females. The naginata, denoted initially as a long sword, consists of a long handle and a sword section at the tip. In contrast to swords, Naginata was much easier to apply and a weapon that even women could use to their full advantage. Because of this, in the Edo period (1603-1867), it became a suitable bridal item for women who married into samurai families.

Famous female samurai 1. TomoeGozen

The most famous female martial artist ever born in Japanese history was Tomoe Gozen. Tomoe Gozen was a woman who appeared in the late Heian period (794-1185) during the Genpei War, or the “Genpei Gassen” (battle between the Taira and Minamoto clans). She was such a strong military commander known as “having the strength of a thousand warriors” in the Tale of the Heike (“Heike” meaning the Taira clan).

However, there is no evidence that Tomoe Gozen was ever actively involved. It is also a keynote area that research has conducted to determine whether Tomoe’s existence is correct. 

However, there are folklore and mounds of the legend of Tomoe Gozen all over Japan, and she is still famous today as a synonym for a powerful woman.

Let us now ask what kind of figure Tomoe Gozen was. Tomoe Gozen was the daughter of Kaneto Nakahara, one of the most influential families in the Kiso region, who helped Yoshinaka Kiso, a military commander of the Minamoto clan. Tomoe Gozen came into contact with Yoshinaka Kiso and developed her martial arts to become his follower.

In the Tale of the Heike, Tomoe Gozen appears as a fair-skinned woman with long hair and a beautiful face. However, according to its descriptions, this lady was such a formidable warrior that she could draw a strong bow in battle and even fight demons when armed with a sword. 

In the Tale of the Heike, Tomoe Gozen appears as a fair-skinned woman with long hair and a beautiful face. However, according to its descriptions, this lady was such a formidable warrior that she could draw a strong bow in battle and even fight demons when armed with a sword. Such martial prowess made her the general of one of her troops in the Battle of the Kurikara Pass (1183).

The Battle of Kurikara Pass was one of the most pivotal battles of the Genpei War, and Tomoe Gozen’s great efforts also contributed to the victory. By winning the Battle of the Kurikara Pass, Yoshinaka Kiso overthrew the Heike forces from Heian-kyo (the ancient capital of Kyoto). However, the situation continued to remain unsafe because the warriors of the Minamoto clan, brought by Kiso Yoshinaka, committed unprecedented violence in Heian-kyo.

Under these circumstances, the retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa ordered the avenging defeat of Yoshinaka Kiso. Yoritomo Minamoto followed this order and sent his younger brother, Noriyori Minamoto and Yoshitsune Minamoto to pursue and defeat Yoshinaka Kiso. Being driven by the forces of Yoritomo Minamoto, Kiso Yoshinaka eventually surrendered to Yoritomo Minamoto’s armies at the Battle of Awazu.

During the Battle of Awazu, Tomoe Gozen fought alongside Kiso Yoshinaka until the last minute. Kiso Yoshinaka said to her, “You are a woman. Just hurry up and go down to anywhere you want to go. I think I will die in battle here.” He kept telling Tomoe Gozen to abandon himself and escape.

Initially, she tried to protect Kiso Yoshinaka, but when she heard that mourning for posterity was a form of devotion, she left Kiso Yoshinaka and fled. On the way to escape, she fights a squadron of 30 Genji warriors, declaring it her last battle. They say Tomoe Gozen overcame the general all by herself. Since then, Tomoe Gozen has fled and disappeared.

We do not know what happened to Tomoe Gozen after the Battle of Awazu. According to the oral tradition, she turned into a nun and lived to be 91 years old. However, the “Genpei seisuiki” (The Rising and Falling Fortunes of the Genji (Minamoto) and the Heike (Taira)) describes that the Minamoto clan had captured her and condemned her to death; however, she received a plea from Yoshimori Wada, who spared her life. 

On this occasion, the record states that Yoshimori Wada made a petition by saying, “I want to have a child with such a strong and vigorous woman.” Tomoe Gozen was so solid and formidable that the chief vassals of the shogunate recognized it.

In addition, there even remains today the fact that Tomoe Gozen excelled in martial arts. That is the form of using Naginata. There are two types of Naginata: the  “onna naginata” (women’s naginata) and the “otoko naginata” (men’s naginata). The onna naginata form is also known as the Tomoe form. There is no mention of Tomoe Gozen using a naginata, but the excellent martial arts of Tomoe Gozen gave the name to the Naginata form that appeared later.

Famous female samurai 2. Shizuka Gozen

Shizuka Gozen was a side consort of Yoshitsune Minamoto. She originally danced as Shirabyoshi (a style of singing and dancing in the Japanese Heian era); however, when she performed a rain offering at Sumiyoshi Shrine, Yoshitsune Minamoto summoned her to his service. Shirabyoshi is a performing art in which a woman dances while wearing a man’s hat and clothes, called Tateeboshi (eboshi with a peak): and Suikan (everyday garment worn by commoners in ancient Japan). She also performs singing a seven-five syllable song called Imayo (an ancient verse form).

Shizuka Gozen was a master of Shirabyoshi, a graceful dancer with a beautiful face. Yoshitsune Minamoto became enamored with her exceptional beauty and took her as his concubine. However, his elder brother Yoritomo ordered the pursuit of Yoshitsune Minamoto, and he found himself chased by his enemy. On the way, Shizuka Gozen and Yoshitsune Minamoto fled to Yoshino. They realized that they would both be caught if they remained in the area and decided to escape separately along the way.

Shizuka Gozen subsequently reached the Zao-do of Kinpusen-ji Temple, where she encountered monk soldiers who captured her and sent her to Kamakura. Yoritomo Minamoto ordered him to perform the Hakubyoshi dance, and although initially refusing, she performed it to dedicate it toTsurugaoka Hachiman-gu Shrine (Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture).

At Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu Shrine, she performed two poems expressing her love for Yoshitsune Minamoto. “My sweetheart went into deep snow in Mount Yoshino. I miss him so much,” and “I remember my sweetheart calling my name repeatedly. I wish I would go back to those days.” This performance infuriated Yoritomo Minamoto, but Masako Hojo’s words, “Even I would do the same thing,” was enough to spare Shizuka Gozen’s life.

Subsequently, she discovered that she had conceived a child by Yoshitsune Minamoto. However, the child was a boy, so Yoritomo Minamoto sank him into the Yuigahama beach. Shizuka Gozen resisted giving her child away, but they forced her to separate from him.

According to some accounts, Gozen later had to return to Kyoto, but what happened to her is still vague since no description remains. One theory is that she drowned herself in the water at Yuigahama.

Famous female samurai 3. Hangaku Gozen

Hangaku Gozen is a figure from the late Heian to early Kamakura period, approximately the same period as Tomoe Gozen. Hangaku Gozen was from a prominent Echigo clan, the Shiro clan, also known as the Echigo-Heishi (Taira clan). When the conflict between the Minamoto and Taira clans grew increasingly intense, she served as the guardian of her brother’s child, Sukemori Jo. She was in charge of the Torisaka Castle, where he resided.

Following the downfall of the Heike clan in the Battle of Dannoura, her other brother Nagamochi Jo, the head of the family at that time, fell into captivity in Kamakura. Nagamochi initially expressed his loyalty to the Kamakura shogunate. However, he later rose in rebellion against the Shogunate in Kyoto. This revolt was the Kennin Rebellion. The Shogunate forces overthrew Jo Nagamochi in Kyoto, after which the Shogunate proceeded to assault the castle of Torisaka, the residence of the Jo clan.

Hangaku Gozen was an excellent archer and fought back with her bow from Torisaka Castle against the invading Shogunate forces. Her bows had a relatively high hit rate and were also sufficiently powerful to kill most of her soldiers when hit. The Shogunate forces thereby stopped dead in their tracks before the bows of Gozen Hangaku.

However, with their outnumbered forces, the Shogunate forces desperately pressed on with their attack on Torisaka Castle. As it became clear that the war was lost, Gozen Hangaku released Sukemori Jo and fought back to the end on her own. The Shogunate forces, realizing they could not defeat Hangaku Gozen’s strong bow from the front, circled from the rear and shot her in the thigh from a higher position than at Torisaka Castle. 

As expected, even Hangaku Gozen collapsed under this attack, and the Shogunate forces captured her. Gozen was taken to the second shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate, Yoriye Minamoto. According to “Azuma Kagami” (a history book published during the Kamakura period), she was “as beautiful as a flower and as if she were the mistress of a mausoleum” in front of Yoriie Minamoto. 

Impressed by her exceptional beauty and dignified presence, the shogunate vassal Yoshinobu Asari offered to take her as his wife. In response to Yoriie Minamoto’s question, “Why do you want to take a rebel as your wife?” Asari Yoshinori replied, “I want to have a son with her who will excel in the martial arts so that he will be loyal to the Shogunate.”

Yoriie Minamoto laughed at this and sanctioned it, thereby saving the life of Gozen Hangaku, who in turn became the wife of Yoshinobu Asari. After that, she moved to live with Yorito Asari in Kai, where she supposedly spent the rest of her life. Moreover, Gozen Hangaku represents Tomoe Gozen and a few other female heroes; therefore, she is famous as “Tomoe Hangaku.”

Famous female samurai 4. Ii Naotora

Ii Naotora is the one who raised Naomasa Ii, one of the Tokugawa- Shitenno (Four Generals Serving Tokugawa Ieyasu). Originally, Ii Naotora was to be the wife of Naochika Ii. However, Yoshimoto Imagawa, the lord at that time, brought suspicion of treason against Naomitsu, Naochika Ii’s father, causing Naochika to hide in Shogenji Temple in Shinshu. Ii Naotora was so devastated that she decided to enter the priesthood.

Later, Naomori Ii, Ii Naotora’s father, granted permission from Yoshimoto Imagawa, resulting in the return of Naochika Ii. At this time, Naochika already had a child with a daughter of the Okuyama clan. This child turned out to be Naomasa Ii. Later, his father, Naomori Ii, suffered a defeat in the battle of Okehazama, and Naochika Ii was also killed, which led to a crisis in the very survival of the Ii family.

Here, Ii Naotora, now an ordained priest, assumed the lordship of the castle. To preserve the existence of the Iyi family, Ii Naotora took over the Iyi family as the castle’s female lord and became Naomasa Ii’s guardian through a process called genzoku, in which a person who has been ordained returns to the secular world again.

Ii Naotora sent Toramatsu (then Ii Naomasa) to Ieyasu Tokugawa, intending to restore the Iyi family. Toramatsu met Ieyasu Tokugawa, who left Hamamatsu Castle so that he could receive his official permission to enter the service. To earn Ieyasu Tokugawa’s approval, Ii Naotora tailored Kosode (Short-Sleeved Kimono) for Toramatsu.

Toramatsu assumed the name of Naomasa Ii after his first year of marriage and established numerous war achievements. In his debut battle at Nagashino, he repulsed the ninjas of Takeda’s army that approached Tokugawa Ieyasu. Since then, he continued to protect Tokugawa Ieyasu and became one of the three Tokugawa warriors for his distinguished military achievements, thus securing the stability of the Ii family. 

As a female lord of the castle, Ii Naotora protected the Ii family. Since Naomasa Ii achieved considerable success in numerous battles, so she took over the family’s reigns and became an ordained priestess again. She spent the rest of her life at Ryotanji Temple, the family temple of the Ii family, and then quietly passed away in 1582.

Later, Naomasa Ii became the first lord of the Hikone domain, which developed into a family of influential vassals of the Edo shogunate that produced a high number of senior retainers and grand retainers. Ii Naotora’s efforts as a female lord of the castle formed the basis for the prosperity of the Ii family. Without her, the Ii family of the Edo period would not have been possible.

Famous female samurai 5. Princess Yoshihime

Yoshihime was the mother of Date Masamune, the Dokuganryu (one-eyed dragon) Dragon, and was the daughter of the Mogami family, a top feudal lord in the Tohoku region. Yoshihime married into the Date family through a politically arranged marriage with Terumune Date. There, she gave birth to two children, Masamune Date, and Kojiro. However, Masamune Date suffered from severe smallpox (pemphigus) and lost sight in his right eye, causing the eyeball to bulge out.

Yoshihime began to lose affection for Date Masamune and came to love his younger brother, Kojiro, from this period onward. Moreover, she tried to carry out her plan to assassinate Masamune Date many times. However, all failed, and Masamune Date ascended to become a significant warlord in the Tohoku region.

Yoshihime may seem like a horrible mother, but during the Battle of Osaki, which deepened the rivalry between the Date and Mogami families, she appeared on the battlefield mounted in a palanquin demanding that her brother, Yoshimitsu Mogami, cease fighting. She stationed herself between the two armies and remained there for 80 days until her demands for a cease-fire remained firm. 　

When her husband, Terumune Date, launched an attack on Mogami Yoshimitsu, she rode in a palanquin into his camp and demanded, “Why are you having a brotherly dispute with him? In a sense, she was more courageous than a warlord and was a figure who took action with the hope of the prosperity of the Date and Mogami families.

According to the sources, Yoshihime returned to her parent’s home in Yamagata when Mamamune Date assassinated Kojiro Date. They described her as having fled after a failed assassination attempt on Date Masamune; however, Masamune later exchanged letters with Yoshihime. Finally, she returned to Sendai and eventually passed away in Sendai in 1628. 

Yoshihime longed for the peace of the Date and Mogami families, sometimes wearing armor and acting boldly on the battlefield. She made various efforts to make the Date family prosperous. As a mother, she plotted the assassination of Date Masamune to ensure the Date family’s prosperity. Amid the warring factions, she thought it would be highly challenging for a child with disabilities to win through; therefore, she planned the assassination of Date Masamune.

Famous female samurai 6. Yamakawa Futaba

The Yamakawa family of the Aizu domain played a leading role in modern Japanese education, including Kenjiro Yamakawa, who served as president of Tokyo Imperial University, and Sakiko Yamakawa (later Sutematsu Oyama), one of Japan’s first female exchange students. Among them, Yamakawa Futaba was a pivotal figure in the student government of the Women’s Higher Normal School, the predecessor of Ochanomizu University.

In the past, the Yamakawa family was originally a retainer of the Matsudaira family, the feudal lord of the Aizu domain. The Aizu clan was a central force in the Boshin War (1868-1868). At the time, the feudal lord,  Matsudaira Katamori, confined himself to Aizu Castle; however, major war arguments against the new government took center stage within the Aizu domain, and the new government forces also attacked the Aizu domain. 

The Aizu War constituted a significant battle in the Boshin War. In the end, they made a siege and confronted each other at Aizu Castle, the center of the clan. At that time, the members of the Yamakawa family played an especially prominent role. Among them, Yamakawa Futaba entered the castle with a naginata sword in preparation for a siege.

During the siege of Aizu Castle, she primarily performed tasks such as tending to wounded soldiers in the castle and cooking. In addition, she protected Teruhime, who took command of the women in the Aizu Castle and committed herself to protecting the Aizu domain. However, facing the new government’s modern fighting forces, they could not do anything about it and surrendered.

Subsequently, the Aizu Matsudaira family demonstrated their deference to the new government and therefore received a reduction in their domain to the Tonami domain in Aomori Prefecture. Yamakawa Futaba and her brother Daizo followed the Matsudaira family and moved to the Tonami domain. Later, when she returned to Aizu, she came to be introduced to Hideo Takamine, a former chief retainer of the Aizu domain, and thus became a Prefect of the Women’s Higher Normal School.

Yamakawa Futaba’s mother, Yen Yamakawa, was also famous as a strict matriarch. According to legend, the pouch that held Yen Yamakawa’s pocket sword was only as long as the sword itself so that she could pull it out whenever she desired. She was raised by such a strict mother and was born the eldest of two sons and five daughters. Thus she developed the necessary qualities to be responsible for the education of Japan.

Moreover, their strict mother also became the one who entered the castle during the Aizu siege. It seems that Yamakawa Futaba’s advent with a naginata sword was primarily due to her mother’s influence as she grew up seeing how prepared she was to face the world. After that, Yamakawa Futaba worked at the Women’s Higher Normal School until her health deteriorated, supporting women’s education in Japan.

Famous female samurai 7. Nakano Takeko

Nakano Takeko was a member of the Joshi-tai (or women’s corps) that fought with a naginata as part of the Aizu War in the Boshin War (1868-1911). Nakano Takeko pursued literary and military arts, excelled at waka poetry, and mastered the naginata (Japanese cleaver) in battle.

In 1867, Yoshinobu Tokugawa enacted the Restoration of Imperial Rule, called Taisei Hokan (the transfer of power back to the Imperial court). Later, when Katamori Matsudaira, the lord of the Aizu domain and the Kyoto governor, returned to the Aizu domain, the Nakano family rejoined the Aizu domain. However, Nakano Takeko was born and raised in a residence of the Aizu clan in Edo, so this was her first time in Aizu.

Since the Nakano family had lived in the Edo domain for numerous years, they did not have a home in Aizu. Her family was allowed to live near a friend’s house. Nevertheless, Nakano Takeko began residing in the kendo dojo of her literary and military master Daisuke Akaoka, teaching local children to read and write and the girls to play the naginata sword. She devoted herself to her training. 

When she returned to Aizu, Nakano Takeko received great praise for sisterly beauty and good looks. Together with her younger sister, Yuko Nakano, they became the focus of attention as a sister and sister with an excellent and graceful appearance. Therefore, they called her “Aizu’s famous Narihira Shikibu (equipped with a brilliant mind of Narihira Ariwara and Shikibu Murasaki) and Komachi-daughter of Nakano (Ono‐no‐Komachi has become a synonym for a beautiful woman).” However, she was also famous for her masculine character, and there is even an anecdote that when someone peeked into her bathtub, she drove the peeper away with a naginata sword.

When the Aizu War erupted, Nakano Takeko headed for Aizu Castle with her mother, Kouko, and sister, Yuko. The gates of Aizu Castle remained closed; nevertheless, they had already decided on a place to meet their dojo mates in case of emergency. Therefore, they made their way there. Together with the members who gathered there, they would form daughter corps and participate in the battle.

Nakano Takeko was also a master of the naginata sword, so the female soldiers beat down one by one the new government soldiers who tried to take them alive. However, the new government forces shot Nakano Takeko in the forehead, causing her to collapse. Her sister, Yuko Nakano, tearfully assisted Takeko, wrapped her head in the cloth of her headband, and handed it over to allied warriors.

Before going into battle, Nakano Takeko composed a poem of resignation called Jisei no ku (a poem written near the time of one’s death): “I would not dare to count myself among all the famous warriors – even though I share the same brave heart.” This song stands inscribed on a stone monument at Hokai-ji Temple in Aizubange-machi, Fukushima Prefecture, where Nakano Takeko now rests. The temple also houses Nakano Takeko’s naginata (long sword) as a temple treasure, and you can see the cut end of the sword hanging down, which tells us that she was so brave that she was called ” a fierce woman.”

Summary

In Japanese history, female samurai fought valiantly with bows and naginata swords. They demonstrated not only their outstanding military achievements but also their graceful appearance, genuinely representing a combination of intelligence and beauty. You will be able to feel their passion and spirit as women living amid battle. If you want to see their brilliant and heroic fighting, please watch “samurai vs. ninja” on our video streaming service.