Contrary to popular beliefs, women played important roles in Japanese history and society. As members of samurai households, women were expected to be educated, literate, and trained in combat. While men were away at war, women were responsible for maintaining and defending the home. They trained in long-range weapons like the naginata and bow and arrow. Legendary female warriors like Tomoe Gozen fought bravely in battles during the Genpei War. Throughout Japan's history, women demonstrated remarkable bravery, loyalty, and honor through their service and should be acknowledged for the part they played.

1. Onna-Bugeisha
Women Warriors of Japan
By Tin Mei Yarrington

2. Contrary to the popular portrayal
of ladies as weak-willed and
flower-like, women played an
important role in Japanese
history. All members of samurai
households were expected to be
educated and literate, as well as
trained in combat. While the men
were away at war, it was the
women’s responsibility to maintain
the house and guard it from
invaders.

3. To compensate for mounted attackers and differences in strength or body
weight, women’s combat training was usually focused on long-range weapons
such as the naginata and bow and arrow. The naginata was a combination of
spear and sword ideal for hitting targets at a distance. Usually hung upon a
wall within the house, women could quickly grab it during an emergency. If
there was suspicious activity going on anywhere in the village, it was often the
duty of the women to take care of it.

4. Female Warriors of the Genpei
WarTomoe Gozen was a legendary female
warrior for the Minamoto clan. Her
history is unclear, but she was
apparently an incredibly beautiful
warrior who fought for Minamoto no
Yoshinaka. Skilled in swords, horse-
riding, and archery, she was
Yoshinaka’s first captain. Although
Yoshinaka was defeated by his cousin
yoritomo, Tomoe remains a famous
warrior for her skill and bravery.
Hangaku Gozen was warrior for the
Taira Clan during the Genpei War.
She was also a participant in the
Kennin Uprising against the
Kamakura Shogunate. The
rebellion failed and many warriors
were captured and sent to prisoner
camps. Hangaku was married to a
Minamoto soldier named Asari
Yoshito.

5. Women of the Boshin War
Futaba Yamakawa was daughter of
Naoe Yamakawa, a samurai of the
Aizu Clan. She fought during the
Boshin War and lived afterwards as
a supporter of women’s education.
She began working at the Tokyo
Women’s Normal School in 1877
and died in 1909.
Nakano Takeko was a warrior who
fought in the Battle of Aizu. She led
a corps of female warriors called
the Aizu Joshitai into battle and was
shot in the chest. Upon her request,
her sister buried her head under a
tree at Hokaiji Temple to keep it
from becoming an enemy trophy.

6. Yamamoto
Yaeko
Yamamoto Yaeko was the
daughter of an official gunnery
instructor named Yamamoto
Gonpachi. Born in 1845, Yaeko
was a skilled marksman who
fought for the Aizu Clan during the
Boshin War. After the Shogunate’s
defeat, she retreated to Kyoto to
care for her brother, Kakuma.
With her brother and her
husband, Reverend Joseph Hardy
Neesima, also known as Jo
Nijima, the three helped found the
Doshisha University in Kyoto.
Yaeko was also a nurse during
the Russo-Japanese War and the
Sino-Japanese War. She died in
1932.

7. Although often overlooked, women throughout Japan’s history have
demonstrated remarkable bravery, loyalty, and honor. Their courage and
cunning on the battlefield earned them the respect of daimyo and military
leaders alike. It is important to acknowledge these strong warriors and the
part they played in history.

8. Sources
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