20. A Fearless Female Samurai
Tomoe Gozen (circa 1157 – 1247) is Japan’s most famous female samurai, or onna-bogueisha. A formidable and powerful warrior, she was famous for her courage, her physical strength, and her skill with a variety of weapons. She put those assets to good use on the battlefield, as she fought in the Japanese civil war that led to the creation of that country’s first shogun (military dictator) government – the political system that would govern Japan from the 1180s until 1868.
It was not unusual for women in Japan to receive military training, and for centuries, women of the samurai class were taught 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 her mettle and skills in battle. So she sought an active career as a warrior, and was accepted into the service of a general named Minamoto Yoshinaka.
