14. Japan’s Greatest Female Samurai
Japan’s most famous female samurai is Tomoe Gozen (circa 1157 – 1247). A fearsome warrior, Tomoe was famous for her courage, physical strength, and skill with a variety of weapons. Back then, it was not unusual for Japanese women of the samurai class to receive military training, such as swordsmanship, archery, and the use of polearms. It was defensive training, however, for the women to protect themselves and their households in the absence of their menfolk. Tomoe however wanted to test herself in battle, so she sought an active career as a warrior, and was accepted into the service of a general named Minamoto Yoshinaka.
By 1184, Tomoe’s fighting skills and battlefield performance had made her famous. Her greatest exploit came that year, at the battle of Awazu, when she was part of a small force of 300 samurai that was set upon by a vastly superior army of around 6000. Tomoe fought with extreme courage and skill against overwhelming odds, but eventually, her force was whittled down from 300 to only Tomoe, her commanding general, Yoshinaka, and five other warriors. With the end drawing near, Yoshinaka ordered her to leave the battlefield, as it would be shameful for him to die alongside a woman. Reluctantly, she obeyed, beheading one more enemy warrior on her way out. Thereafter, she fades from history.