Tomoe Gozen

Introduction

Tomoe Gozen was a strong and brave female warrior who was active in the end Heian period at the end of the 12th century.Tomoe Gozen played an active role in the Genpei War (a civil war between the Genji and the Heishi) as a commander of Kiso Yoshinaka (the Genji).Her bravery has been handed down as legends in military tales such as ‘‘Heike Monogatari’’ and “Genpei Seisuiki”.On the other hand, there are also theories that she may be a fictional character.

We will introduce her bravery of Tomoe Gozen, her final moments and her theory of existence.Tomoe Gozen was a strong and brave female warrior who was active in the end Heian period at the end of the 12th century.Tomoe Gozen played an active role in the Genpei War (a civil war between the Genji and the Heishi) as a commander of Kiso Yoshinaka (the Genji).Her bravery has been handed down as legends in military tales such as ‘‘Heike Monogatari’’ and “Genpei Seisuiki”.On the other hand, there are also theories that she may be a fictional character.We will introduce her bravery of Tomoe Gozen, her final moments and her theory of existence.

Heian female commander Tomoe Gozen

Tomoe Gozen was active as a female warrior. Her name is Tomoe, and Gozen is a title for nobles.Here, we will look into the relationship between Tomoe Gozen and Kiso Yoshinaka, and the brave legend of Tomoe Gozen.

Tomoe Gozen and Kiso Yoshinaka

Tomoe Gozen was born as a daughter of Nakahara Kanetoo, a powerful family (a manor official) in Shinano Province, which is now Nagano Prefecture.Kiso Yoshinaka was taken in by Kanetoo because his father Minamotono Yoshikata was killed. This is because Kanetoo’s wife was Yoshinaka’s nanny.Tomoe and Yoshinaka were close in age and grew up as childhood friends.Tomoe was a very lively woman since she was little. She ran around the mountains and fields of Kiso on horseback, practicing archery and swords with his brother Yoshinaka and his older brothers Imai Kanehira and Higuchi Kanemitsu.

Although she was a woman, she was very strong and was chosen as a training partner for her Yoshinaka’s grappling. Before long, she grew up a female warrior who draws a strong bow.

On the other hand, Yoshinaka who has grown up joined the battle to defeat the Heike. In Japan at that time, the Heike, a samurai group held political power, but they were violent and antagonized the public. Then, another samurai group, the Genji rebelled against the Heike in various places and the Genpei War began.

Around this time, Tomoe Gozen began to serve Yoshinaka. In “Heike Monogatari”, she was written as a binjo who takes care of personal belongings. One theory is that she was Yoshinaka’s concubine. It is believed that she was white and very beautiful.However, Tomoe Gozen was different from other concubines. She was a female warrior who went to the battlefield as Yoshinaka’s retainer and fought with a bow and a sword.

The Legend of Tomoe Gozen

Tomoe Gozen was a very brave female warrior who drew a strong bow and wielded a Japanese sword to take on demons and gods. It is said that she rode a wild horse and ran down a steep slope and was entrusted with the command of a troop in battle.

Tomoe Gozen’s first battle was at the Battle of Yokotagawara in 1181, when the enemy’s army numbered forty thousand, while Yoshinaka’s army numbered a few thousand. However, Yoshinaka attacked with a pincer attack. Though it was her first time participating, Tomoe undauntedly fought and defeated seven enemy generals. Then, Tomoe Gozen became active as the general of a troop of 1,000 soldiers.

In addition, Tomoe Gozen was a superhuman strength that could not be beaten by men, and she demonstrated it in the battle of Ujigawa in 1184.In this battle, Yoshinaka fought with the same Minamotono Yoshitsune army, but was defeated. During the rout, Yoshinaka’s army was reduced to seven horsemen. Among them, Tomoe Gozen was also left undefeated.The army of enemy, Hatekeyama Shigetada was chasing them. Tomoe Gozen ran horse and fired bow so hard that the Hatakeyama army involuntarily withdrew.Shigetada approached Tomoe to catch her and grabbed her by the sleeve of armor. At that moment, Tomoe ran her horse like the wind, tearing off “gacha” and the sleeves of armor. Shigetada was strong enough to have an episode that he carried his horse down a cliff. His armor was torn off due to the strength of the two persons.Shigetada was surprised and said ‘‘She was as terrifying as a demon or a god” and gave up chasing her.

Tomoe Gozen’s final battle “Battle of Awazu”

After winning the battle of Kurikaratouge, Yoshinaka weakened the power of the Heike in various places and in 1183 he finally led his forces into Kyoto, the capital in Japan. The Heike had already fled from Kyoto. The Genji finally overthrew the Heike from seat of government.

Yoshinaka was given the title of ‘‘Asahi Shogun’’ by Cloistered Emperor Goshirakawa, the highest authority at the time, in recognition of his achievements in hunting down the Heike.

However, Yoshinaka soon became on bad terms with Cloistered Emperor Goshirakawa.Because Genji’s soldiers acted violently in Kyoto, they earned the anger of the Cloistered Emperor.

Furthermore, Yoshinaka had conflict of opinions with the Cloistered Emperor on the selection of the next emperor.Cloistered Emperor Goshirakawa cut off Yoshinaka and approached Yoshinaka’s cousin, Minamotono Yoritomo who was in Kamakura. Yoritomo had built up a great power in Kamakura and was a person who was thinking of becoming the top of the Genji.

Yoshinaka got angry and confined the Cloistered Emperor, but this had the opposite effect. In order to help the Cloistered Emperor, Minamotono Yoritomo sent his younger brother Minamotono Yoshitsune and a large army of Noriyori to Kyoto to hunt down Yoshinaka. Only half a year after Yoshinaka entered Kyoto, he was chased by family.

Yoshinaka who was defeated in the Battle of Ujigawa was routed and fled to Omi Province (present-day Shiga Prefecture). In the final battle of Awazu, Yoshinaka had an army of 1,600 against 60,000 enemies. Nevertheless, he continued to fight and when he noticed, only five horsemen in Yoshinaka troops. Among them, Tomoe and his brother Imai Kanemitsu were left.

In ‘‘Heike Monogatari’’, Yoshinaka and Tomoe Gozen’s final farewell is described as follows. Yoshinaka told Tomoe Gozen, “I’m going to die here. Sound good if I am with a woman until the end, so run away somewhere.” When Tomoe Gozen who refused at first learned that Yoshinaka has a strong will, she looked around, saying “I want to show you my final battle”.Then, Ondano Hachiro Moroshige who was known as his strong man approached with about 30 horsemen.When Tomoe Gozen rushed into the enemy forces, she lined up Ondano Hachiro’s horse, grabbed him and pulled him off the horse. She grabbed him by the neck and pressed it against the front wheel of horse’s saddle, twisted his neck and threw it away.She twisted his neck with a strong force, but it may have actually been cut with a sword.She pulled down Ondano Hachiro who was known for his superhuman strength, and took his head, so you can see Tomoe Gozen’s amazing power.

Also according to one theory, she killed the attacking two enemies by squeezing neck with her arm.After this, Tomoe Gozen took off her armor and left. It is believed that she went to Togoku or to Echigokoku-tomosugi.Yoshinaka was killed by an enemy arrow.

After that Tomoe Gozen

It is not clear about Tomoe Gozen’s whereabouts after parting with Kiso Yoshinaka. Her legend has been handed down all over Japan and there are about 15 Tomoe Gozen graves and mounds nationwide.

Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture is the place where Tomoe Gozen died. There is a large pine tree called “Tomoezukano Matsu” here. It is believed that the site of the hut where Tomoe Gozen spent her final days as a nun.

The story of how she died in this area is written in “Genpei Seisuiki”, which is known as her war story.Tomoe Gozen parted ways with Yoshinaka and returned to her hometown of Shinano, but she was taken to Kamakura where Minamotono Yoritomo lived. She was about to be beheaded. But she was saved by Wada Yoshimori, a powerful samurai in Kamakura and became his wife. Then She gave birth to Asahina Yoshihide.

Later, when the Wada clan was destroyed, she moved to Ecchuno Kuni (now Toyama Prefecture), became a nun and passed away at the age of 91 while holding memorial services for Yoshinaka and Yoshimori.

However, Asahina Yoshihide was born in 1176 and Kiso Yoshinaka was still alive around this time. So the dates do not match. Therefore, it is considered that there is a high possibility of creation.

Gichu-ji Temple

Kiso Yoshinaka was buried at Gichu-ji Temple in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture, where he died. Gichu-ji Temple is said that Tomoe Gozen who became a nun built a hut near Yoshinaka’s grave to hold a memorial service for him.A nearby villager asked her who she was and she replied, “I have no name”. Therefore, it was named Mumyo-an. It was still preserved as a historical site of Gichu-ji Temple.

Tokuonji Temple

Tokuonji Temple in Kiso Town, Nagano Prefecture was built by Yoshinaka to enshrine his mother. There are graves of Yoshinaka and Tomoe Gozen, as well as Tomoe Gozen’s brothers Imai Kanehira and Higuchi Kanemitsu.

In this temple, there is a “Tomoe’s Tsuranuki Stone”. Tomoe Gozen was ordered by Yoshinaka to try crossing the river on horseback, successfully jumped over it. At this time, it is believed that a horse’s hoof bit into the stone with too much momentum and created a dent.

Kurikara Prefectural Park

Kurikara Prefectural Park in Toyama Prefecture is the place of the Battle of Kurikaratouge, where Kiso Yoshinaka defeated the Heike army. In this corner, there is a place called ‘‘Tomoezuka Aoizuka’’. There was another retainer of Yoshinaka, a female warrior named Aoi Gozen who died in the Battle of Kurikara touge. She was buried in Kurikara Prefectural Park. Tomoe Gozen said that “When I die, I want to be buried near Aoizuka.”

Shogyo-in Temple

Shogyo-in Temple in Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture was built in 1199 by Wada Yoshimori to hold a memorial service for his wife Tomoe Gozen. It is believed that the hair of Tomoe Gozen was buried in the temple. According to this theory, Tomoe Gozen died earlier than Wada Yoshimori.

Did Tomoe Gozen really exist?

Tomoe Gozen is known for heroic activities and her graves are left in various places. However, it is questionable whether she actually existed.This is because Tomoe Gozen’s name is not listed in the historical records of that time. Tomoe Gozen’s name does not appear in the history book “Azuma Kagami” compiled in the end Kamakura period (compiled by the Kamakura Shogunate). Also, there is no mention of her in the historical materials such as letters and diaries left by people at that time.Tomoe Gozen’s name appears only in the war chronicles “Heike Monogatari” and “Genpei Seisuiki” based on it (Heike Monogatari). In ‘‘Heike Monogatari,’’ she appears only in the scene of her farewell to Yoshinaka, but in “Genpei Seisuiki,” her success in battle and her marriage to Wada Yoshimori are descrived in many scenes.

As Tomoe Gozen is mostly written only in these two books, it is thought that the female warrior Tomoe Gozen was created in “Heike Monogatari”. Then the story was further expanded in “Genpei Seisuiki”.It is said that the character of Tomoe Gozen who mentally supported Yoshinaka and fought alongside, was created while her story was handed down.

Nonetheless, the existence of Tomoe Gozen cannot be denied, as the legend of Tomoe Gozen has been handed down in various places.

It is also unclear whether or not there was female warrior during this period, which is one of the reasons why it was thought that she was a fictitious character.However, “Azuma Kagami” describes that a woman named Hangaku Gozen fought armed with enemy, so it is possible that she was a female warrior.Hangaku Gozen has been married and lived in Kai Province (present-day Yamanashi Prefecture). Kai Province was a neighboring country with Tomoe Gozen’s stronghold, Shinano Province. It may have been not uncommon for women in this region to appear on the battlefield as female warriors.

We don’t know if Tomoe Gozen actually existed, but her activities in “Heike Monogatari” and other stories were left a lasting impression on many Japanese people. For this reason, it has become the subject of traditional Japanese performing arts such as Noh and Kabuki and has been handed down as a legend.

Summary

We introduced Tomoe Gozen, a Japanese female warrior.Tomoe Gozen was a concubine of Kiso Yoshinaka and it seems that she was a woman who fought bravely as a general of Yoshinaka’s army.In those days, it was rare for women to go out and fight on the battlefield. Tomoe Gozen may have been happy to be able to fight with loved Yoshinaka.It is unknown if she ever existed, but her devotion to loved one and her bravery in battle are still handed down.