Many of you might have seen the Disney movie Mulan, which depicts a young Chinese maiden, Mulan, courageously disguising herself as a Chinese warrior in order to protect her father. It’s very exciting to see a female character such as Mulan aspiring to be her best in a male-dominated world. I’m not sure if Mulan is based on a true story, but here in Japan, there was a story of a female samurai who outsmarted many of her opponents and was known for her legendry archery skills. Her name was Tomoe.
Tomoe appeared in the Tale of the Heike, one story in a series of Japanese war tales. According to the tale, Tomoe had a beautiful face and figure. She had fair skin and dark hair that was lush and long. She was an archery master and a skilled rider. She served under General Yoshinaka, and was one of the few left standing at the last battle of the Genpei War. Towards the end of the battle, Yoshihara implored Tomoe to flee, saying, “Flee as you may, I do not wish to die with a woman at my side.” “Then this will be my last honor,” Tomoe said as she galloped off and slashed the throat of the powerful General from the opposing clan. She then shed her armor and disappeared into the East.
You can easily get lost in the countless Japanese Samurai tales that exist, but there are only a few that speak of female warriors. Just like Mulan, heroines are very memorable and inspirational for many girls. This makes me wonder who would be the female samurai in our time, whose story will be told for many years to come.
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