page_title: Onna-bugeisha
section_title: Kamakura Period
hierarchical_section_title: Onna-bugeisha / Kamakura Period
caption_attribution_description: 日本語: 絹本著色 『巴御前出陣図』
context_page_description: Onna-bugeisha was a type of female warrior belonging to the Japanese nobility. These women engaged in battle alongside samurai men mostly in times of need. They were members of the bushi class in feudal Japan and were trained in the use of weapons to protect their household, family, and honour in times of war. Significant icons such as Tomoe Gozen, Nakano Takeko, Empress Jingū and Hōjō Masako are famous examples of onna-bugeisha.
context_section_description: The Genpei War (1180–1185) marked the war between the Taira (Heike) and Minamoto (Genji) clans; two very prominent and powerful Japanese clans of the late-Heian period. The epic The Tale of the Heike was composed in the early 13th century in order to commemorate the stories of courageous and devoted samurai.  Among those was Tomoe Gozen, servant of Minamoto no Yoshinaka of the Minamoto clan. She assisted Yoshinaka in defending himself against the forces of his cousin, Minamoto no Yoritomo, especially during the Battle of Awazu on February 21, 1184.
  In The Tale of the Heike, written at the beginning of the 14th century, she was described:
  ... especially beautiful, with white skin, long hair, and charming features. She was also a remarkably strong archer, and as a swords-woman she was a warrior worth a thousand, ready to confront a demon or a god, mounted or on foot. She handled unbroken horses with superb skill; she rode unscathed down perilous descents. Whenever a battle was imminent, Yoshinaka sent her out as his first captain, equipped with strong armor, an oversized sword, and a mighty bow; and she performed more deeds of valor than any of his other warriors.
  
  Although she was not proven to be a historical figure, Tomoe Gozen has impacted much of the warrior class, including many traditional Naginata schools. Her actions in battle also received much attention in the arts plays such as Tomoe no Monogatari and various ukiyo-e. As time passed, the influence of onna-bugeisha saw its way from paintings to politics.
  Another famous female general of the Genpei War was Hangaku Gozen. While Tomoe Gozen was an ally of the Minamoto clan, Hangaku allied with the Taira clan. The existence of these two prominent female generals confirms that the status of women during this time was still less unequal than future periods. 
  In ages past, it was more common to see women become reigning empresses, this would change in the future during the Meiji restoration. Throughout Japanese history, women, while not generally becoming de jure chiefs of a samurai clan, several de facto ruled their clans.
  Chancellor Tōin Kinkata (1291-1360) once mentioned in his journal Entairyaku (園太暦) a “predominately female cavalry” without giving further explanations. With few descriptions he induced: "there is a lot of female cavalry", as he noted that they were from western Japan, it may imply that women from the west, regions far from the big capital cities, were more likely to fight in battles. Even if we can’t know the truth about this particular case, female cavalry fighting on the battlefield remains within the realm of possibilities. Women forming cavalry forces were also reported during the Sengoku Period (c. 1467 – c. 1600).
  After the Heike were thwarted towards the western provinces of Japan, the Kamakura shogunate (1185–1333) was soon established under the rule of Minamoto no Yoritomo. After he passed, his wife, Hōjō Masako, acting in the early years of the Hōjō regency, became the first onna-bugeisha to be a prominent player in politics. Masako became a Buddhist nun, a traditional fate of samurai widows, and continued her involvement in politics, influencing the fates of her sons Minamoto no Yoriie and Minamoto no Sanetomo, the second and third shōgun, and of the Hōjō faction at the shōguns' court.
  Through the collective efforts of Masako and a few political puppets, laws governing the shōgun's court in the early 13th century allowed women equal rights of inheritance with fraternal kin. Even though the primary role of women in ancient Japan continued to be the support to their family and their husbands, they acquired a higher status in the household. These laws also allowed Japanese women to control finances, bequeath property, maintain their homes, manage servants, and raise their children with proper, loyal, samurai upbringing. Japanese women were also expected to defend their homes in times of war.
caption: The late 12th century onna-bugeisha Tomoe Gozen
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