In medieval Japan, women known as onna-bugeisha were warriors who fought against various problems in the world of high society. Many wives, widows and daughters answered the call of duty by engaging in heavy fighting, often alongside samurai.
(Samurai, soldiers who served as servants to lords in feudal Japan, appeared in the late 12th century and continued to exist until their abolition in the late 1870s during the Meiji era. Samurai were a hereditary class during Edo and were known for their skill in battle, their adherence to bushido (the way of the warrior), and their high social status.
The samurai played a crucial role during the Warring States era of the 15th and 16th centuries, leading to a period of reunification in the late 1500s. The Edo period consolidated their position as the ruling military class until their decline and abolition them at the end of the 19th century).
Trained to protect their families and honor
Returning to the Japanese onna-bugeisha, they were part of the bushi class (Japan’s social class that included samurai or warriors, members of the Japanese military elite who dominated Japanese politics, economy and society between the 12th and 19th centuries) and were trained in arms to protect their homes, families and honor in time of war. These contrasted with the traditional role of Japanese women as mere “housewives”. Although they are sometimes called samurai women, the term is not entirely correct. Onna-bugeisha had a significant importance in society, with legendary figures such as Empress Jingu, Tomoe Gozen, Nakano Takeko or Hojo Masako having a significant impact on the history of Japan.
Before the advent of the samurai, Japanese warriors were trained in swordsmanship and spear fighting. Women learned to use weapons such as the naginata (a stick weapon), the kaiken (a dagger) and the tantojustu martial arts for combat. This training ensured the protection of communities lacking male fighters. Empress Jingū exemplified the onna-bugeisha spirit by leading an invasion of Korea around 200 AD. after the death of her husband in battle. Despite the debate over her actual achievements, she epitomizes the essence of the onna-bugeisha.
One of the first female warriors and the most legendary female warriors from the centuries when the samurai ruled Japan
During the Genpei War (1180-1185) between the Taira and Minamoto clans, Tomoe Gozen emerged as a prominent warrior. Described as extremely beautiful and skilled with the bow and sword, Gozen fought bravely alongside her husband, Minamoto no Yoshinaka, her heroic deeds influencing the traditional naginata schools and having an important impact on Japanese culture.
Some historical writings reveal that Tomoe was Japan’s most famous warrior, although there are not many details related to other aspects of her life.
“Tomoe’s biography is so shrouded in legend that it is impossible to tell where historical fact ends and literary construction begins,” writes National Geographic quoting Steven T. Brown, associate professor of medieval Japanese literature, popular culture and theory criticism at the University of Oregon
However, several sources agree that Tomoe entered the service of Yoshinaka Minamoto (also called Kiso) in 1181, when both warriors were in their 20s and 30s. Then other dates, again seen as expanded versions of the original story, reveal that the fighter would have taken no less than seven heads in her first battle, thus earning her status as one of Kiso’s most important subordinates. He named her at the head of an army of a thousand horsemen which he led to victory over the Taira at Tonamiyama in 1183. In the pages of biographies another great fact of Tomoe’s was recorded, namely, the confrontation he wanted to he had it with a great samurai, Moroshige Onda, whom he unshod and took off his head with a single blow.
One of the last female samurai
Nakano Takeko was another prominent Japanese warrior who fought and died during the Boshin War, leading an ad hoc corps of female fighters known as the Jōshitai.
Nakano Takeko was born in April 1847 to a samurai family in Edo, receiving from an early age training in martial arts, literary arts and calligraphy under the guidance of her teacher, Akaoka Daisuke. Nakano was certified in Hasso-Shoken, a branch of the Itto-ryu tradition, and later taught naginata wielding to women at the Itakura estate.
(The naginata, a traditional Japanese wooden weapon with a curved blade, used throughout history by samurai, was especially favored by women warriors).
During the Boshin War, Nakano Takeko participated in the Battle of Aizu with his mother and sister. Although she faced opposition from Aizu seniors who would not allow them to officially fight, Nakano trained Jōshitai along with other female warriors. They fought independently and were later designated as a unit by Furuya Sakuzaemon. On October 16, 1868, at Yanagi Bridge in Fukushima, Nakano led a charge against Imperial rifle-armed troops. Despite inflicting casualties on the enemy, she was wounded in the chest by a bullet, dying at just 21 years old. To prevent her capture and to give her an honorable burial, Nakano asked her sister to behead her with the help of an Aizu soldier.
The most beautiful female samurai
Gozen Hangaku, a beautiful and fierce warrior, played an important role in the Kennin Rebellion of 1201 against the Kamakura shogunate. She was noted for her leadership and bravery during the defense of Torisaka Castle (which served as a residence for samurai families), when she positioned herself right on the tower, dressed as a man and felling the attackers with her arrows until she was wounded and captured.
Historical writings say that after she was brought back to the capital of Kamakura as a prisoner, her arrival caused quite a stir, and one of the closest servants of the shogun himself wanted to marry her, being convinced that a warrior like her, and such a beautiful woman, will give birth to worthy heirs. Although her request was accepted, little is known about what followed after her marriage to the close associate of the shogun.
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