Images of Samurai Women

Genpei War-Era Samurai Women

Print of a woman, wearing a wrap and sporting the two swords of a samurai, standing beside legendary fighting monk Saito Benkei.

Library of Congress Prints Collection

Some depictions of samurai women are enigmatic, such as this Kiyonaga Torii drawing from 1785-1789.

The lady shown here wears a long veil and has covered her lacquered armor with civilian clothing. Her footwear is anything but practical for warfare. Nonetheless, she is wearing the two swords of a samurai (as well as the aforementioned armor).

The man next to her, kneeling to adjust his shoe, is the legendary warrior/monk Saito Musashibo Benkei (c. 1155-1189). He is famed for his half-human, half-demon parentage and his incredibly ugly features, as well as his prowess as a warrior.

I’m not sure what is happening in this drawing, but judging by the look on the lady’s face, Benkei may be in trouble.

• A Long History - Japanese Women Warriors
• Genpei War-Era Samurai Women
• The Most Famous Female Samurai: Tomoe Gozen
• Tomoe Gozen on Horseback
• Tomoe Gozen Defeats Another Warrior
• Tomoe Gozen Playing Koto and Riding to War
• Hangaku Gozen
• Yamakawa Futaba
• Yamamoto Yaeko, Gunner at Aizu
• Nakano Takeko