Hasetsu no Hōra

Hasetsu no Hōra [海質の威火, 1447-1521] was a noble lady, akame and retainer of the Daimi clan during the Teijō period. She was the daughter of Hasetsu no Gakkō and an unknown concubine, and was the elder half-sister of Hasetsu no Toru. Hōra had knowledge in strategy and fighting, and was also the wet-nurse of Daimi no Shunji. She is perhaps best known for becoming a valued political advisor and administrative assistant, choosing to dedicate herself to the affairs of the Daimi clan and actively involving herself in Daimi no Shunji's political and strategical decisions.
Hasetsu no Hōra came from the Hasetsu clan, who were the governors of Hasetsu Province and vassals of the Daimi in northern Kanton. Hōra was interested in, and had an aptitude for, both martial arts and military skills. She became the teacher of her younger brother Toru, who would succeed the leadership of the Hasetsu clan in the years to come. After the birth of Daimi no Shunji, when Hōra was 20 years old, she was offered the position of wet-nurse and mentor of the child. Hōra agreed, and seemingly had a strong influence on both the personality and attitude which Shunji later formed.
Hōra was a prominent figure in many of the political matters of the Hasetsu and Daimi clans. She was an advocate for Shunji's campaigns across northern Kanton, and believed it was wise to unite the disparate clans under a single banner. Meanwhile her husband, Taii no Uda, was against the campaigns and in 1485 decided to surrender to the Daimi instead of continuing the fight. Daimi no Shunji agreed, but only if the Taii could surrender their territory, too. Uda kidnapped Shunji's father Shundō; both Shundō and Uda were killed in the following skirmish. Hōra escaped with her son, Taii no Udamuta, who was an infant at the time. She was later discovered by Daimi troops and brought to Asari Castle, the seat of the clan.
In 1490, during the last of Shunji's northern campaigns against the Ashiyami, he appointed Udamuta (then eight years of age) as a junior page to serve in the Daimi army. Hōra also requested if she might also join the army, and was approved to become an akame (warrior noblewoman) for the Daimi. Shunji was soon impressed by her skill, cunning and knowledge. He gave her the title of senior advisor in 1494. In 1500, she moved to join her brother and his family at Kōryō Castle. She never remarried, and remained childless. Eventually she died in 1521, at the age of 74.