Sanada clan mon There is very little information about this woman, so I apologize for the short article. I was amazed to find that the Japanese Wiki Corpus had an article on her, so most of the information will be coming from that source. Yamanote-dono (?—July 20, 1613) was the wife to Sanada Masayuki and … Continue reading Yamanote-dono
Women of the Era
Aya-Gozen
Nagao Masakage (left) with Aya-Gozen (right) Aya-Gozen (1524-March 10, 1609), also known as Sentō-in, was the mother of Uesugi Kagekatsu. Not much is known about her here in the West, only being able to find two articles that talk about her, and unfortunately, one is Wikipedia. It is known that her father was Nagao Tamekage, … Continue reading Aya-Gozen
A Case for Canonization: Hosokawa Gracia
Study for "Garasha Hosokawa", Wall Painting in Tamatsukuri Cathedral, Ōsaka by Domoto Insho, 1962 In the eyes of the Catholic Church, all Christians are called to be saints. Despite this, only a select few ever receive the title. Recently, I have managed to get a copy of Two Japanese Christian Heroes by Johannes Laures, S.J., which is … Continue reading A Case for Canonization: Hosokawa Gracia
Lady ChaCha
Woodblock portrait of Lady ChaCha Kanji: 茶々 Date(s): December 1567 (1569?)-June 4, 1615 Other Known Names: Kikuko (childhood), ChaCha, O-Cha, Yodo no Kata, Ni no Maru-dono, Nishi no Maru-dono, Yodo-gimi, Yodo-dono, Daikōin Lady ChaCha, also known as Yodo-dono, was the eldest daughter of Azai Nagamasa and Oichi, Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s second wife and the mother to … Continue reading Lady ChaCha
Kyōgoku Maria
Kyōgoku Maria in Sengoku BASARA 4. Kanji: 京極マリア Date(s): 1543-August 20, 1618 Other Known Names: Yōfuku-in Azai clan mon Kyōgoku Maria was the daughter of Azai Hisamasa and the older sister to Azai Nagamasa. Very little is known about her, the only place being on Wikipedia, which is strange considering that she is claimed to be … Continue reading Kyōgoku Maria
Kaihime
Kaihime in Samurai Warriors 4 Kanji: 甲斐姫 Date(s): circa. 1572(?)-17th Century (year and cause of death unknown) Other Known Names: N/A Hōjō clan mon Kaihime was an onna-bugeisha from the Narita clan who served the Later Hōjō clan. She is well known for her grace and beauty, being called “the most beautiful woman in east Japan”, … Continue reading Kaihime
Tachibana Ginchiyo
Woodblock painting of Tachibana Ginchiyo Tachibana Ginchiyo (September 23, 1569-November 30, 1602) was head of the Tachibana clan and an onna-bugeisha from the Sengoku Jidai. She was the only surviving child of Tachibana Dōsetsu, the “Lightning God”. She was an unconventional leader, and one of the few that had an entourage of trained and armed … Continue reading Tachibana Ginchiyo
Ii Naotora
Ii Naotora in Samurai Warriors 4. Kanji: 井伊 直虎 Date(s): 1530s(?)-September 1582 Other Known Names: “Female Landlord”, Jirō Hōshi Ii clan mon Ii Naotora was a daimyo and possible onna-bugeisha during the reign of Oda Nobunaga. She was the only daughter and only child of Ii Naomori, the eighteenth head of the clan, and … Continue reading Ii Naotora
Ōhōri Tsuruhime
Ōhōri Tsuruhime in Sengoku BASARA Yukimura-den Kanji: 大祝鶴姫 Date(s): 1526-1543 Other Known Names: the “Joan of Arc” of Japan Kono clan mon Ōhōri Tsuruhime, or simply known as Tsuruhime, was possibly an onna-bugeisha who fought against the Ōuchi clan in the early years of the Sengoku Jidai. She was the head priestess at Ōyamazumi … Continue reading Ōhōri Tsuruhime
Nōhime
https://youtu.be/20dUBNK9qBY Portrait of Nōhime Nōhime (1533?-1612?), sometimes referred to as Kicho, was the wife to Oda Nobunaga and the daughter of Saitō Dōsan. You would think because of her marriage to the man known as the “Demon King”, we would know a lot about her. Unfortunately, Nōhime’s life is a bit of an enigma. Since she barely appears … Continue reading Nōhime