Shogunate Japan: Women

While the word “samurai” is a strictly masculine term, female warriors have existed in Japan since as early as 200 AD. Known as “Onna-Bugeisha” (literally meaning “woman warrior”), these women were trained in martial arts and strategy, and fought alongside the samurai to defend their homes, families and honour. Centuries before the rise of the samurai class in the 12th century, onna-bugeisha were acknowledged to be every bit as strong, deadly and fearless as their male counterparts. Here are 10 facts about the onna-bugeisha.

Throughout history, most Japanese women were subject to rigid social expectations of marriage, domesticity, and motherhood, but there also existed women warriors like Takeko who were known to be to be every bit as strong, capable, and courageous as their male counterparts. They belonged to the bushi class, a noble class of feudal Japanese warriors, and helped settle new lands, defend their territory, and even had a legal right to supervise lands as jito (stewards). They were exceptionally skilled in combat; trained in the use of the Kaiken dagger, the naginata, the polearm sword, and the art of tantōjutsu knife fighting. Centuries before the rise of the samurai class in the 12th century, these women would fight in times of war to protect their homes, families, and deep sense of honour. This article talks about these women and how they were erased from history and our understanding of what it means to be a samurai.

Samurai women in early Japan were cloistered, unseen figures - but it is a mistake to underestimate their importance. This article discusses the role they played in samurai culture, and describes some of the more famous samurai women.

In feudal Japan, women were generally seen less important than men. This meant there were not as many women as men in higher social classes. Furthermore, the degree of freedom women in feudal Japan had was typically low. For example, women, especially, of high classes in feudal Japan had no freedom of choosing who they marry, as these were typically the decisions of their families. The roles of women in this period greatly varied depending on which social class they belonged in. This article looks at the role played by women across the different social classes, including samurai and geisha.

During the Edo period (1603–1868), the way people dressed differed greatly depending on their class. Explore these differences with this interactive book, which includes lots of images and other primary sources.

Japan divided along class lines that became distinct during the Edo period: the ruling class, townsman class, and the peasant class. Each class had tiers within it. Samurai increased in rank all the way up to the shogun. However, even the lowest samurai remained higher in social standing than the highest peasant. Each class had its own gender expectations, and this article describes them in detail. It also includes a good reference list for further reading.

With paper-white skin, demur red-painted lips, glorious silk kimonos and elaborate jet-black hair, Japan's geisha are one of the most iconic images associated with the "Land of the Rising Sun." As a source of companionship and entertainment as early as 600, these geisha were trained in many arts, including poetry and performance. This article discusses the history of geishas and how their role has changed from 600CE to the modern day.