Tomoe Gozen 巴御前
“Tomoe was especially beautiful, with white skin, long hair, and charming features. She was also a remarkably strong archer, and as a swordswoman she was a warrior worth a thousand, ready to confront a demon or a god, mounted or on foot. She handled unbroken horses with superb skill; she rode unscathed down perilous descents. Whenever a battle was imminent, Yoshinaka sent her out as his first captain, equipped with strong armor, an oversized sword, and a mighty bow; and she performed more deeds of valor than any of his other warriors.”
Tomoe’s story has inspired noh and kabuki plays. You can even spot a geiko dressed as her every year during Kyoto’s festival of the ages. Archeological discoveries may suggest that women were involved in armies on a larger scale than expected, it seems that Tomoe wasn’t perhaps a lone exception.
