The Last Samurai Women

[xXKonohasNinjaXx]

not only that, Japanese women had the guts to go to war... study a bit more and then comment you Lame loser...

[xXKonohasNinjaXx]

Japan was not misoginistic you idiot!!!

[TakedaWarrior]

Lol so that makes u an expert? i saw ignorant ppl towards theyr culture all over the world....making such an affirmation to me seems insulting!Why the fuk ure the only one i see writing about "misoginistic ancient japan"!If u don t see the japanese woman is a very important part ure blind as a bat! Women could be samurai...they maintained the house affairs, they were cultivated if we re talking about aristocracy here and so on! where the fuk u see misoginism in that?

[TheLamelyNamed]

It is rare to find female warrior in misogynistic ancient Japan. Which is why it is very interesting and revered by both Japanese and Foreigners.

But if you go to Russia, you'll find loads of female soldiers, pilot and even high ranking officers. This is before and up to WW2, NOT AFTER.

They have a whole company of female sniper and dozens of fighter plane squadrons. They have it worst than most male fighters because they will be raped, tortured and executed upon capture by the enemies.

[TakedaWarrior]

I think u got it all wrong....japanese women were higly apreciated and respected...thats why they would handle the affairs of the household even today! Arab women mabe were ill treated but japanese women? lol ....just cause they were expected to be good daughters mothers etc? U call that misoginistic?More misoginistic is the world u live in right now than the time u speak of so get a clear view of things before posting!

[TheLamelyNamed]

I live in Taiwan, My Japanese grandmother lives in Okinawa, my mother is Japanese-Taiwanese.

I visit my grandmother every year since I was 4.

Wanna argue with me? Go ahead. I know more Japanese history than you weaboos.

[dreamymeown]

She's in Byyakotai that Yamapi starred in. Her name in there is sayako.

[Stumperx]

Very interesting video.

[Japanese3091]

this was interesting......I had no idea thanx for making the video!

[pinkilehniously]

wow i didn't know about Nakano Takeko. Thanks for posting this! ^^

[Uberchick464]

She was really pretty and super kool!,its great to see women as heroines in history! Great video by the way!xxxx

[pangirl1993]

female samurais are really cool

[nor888vast695]

Nakano Takeko look as a very regal woman. Her bearing in the photograph is all that's needed to see the kind of lady she was. I have no doubt she did the very best as a samurai woman. Incidently Samurai women were taught from childhood about their class and what was expected of them. To protect their chastity was of the highest calling of these women. May she forever be in the Buddha's "western paradise" free from all earthly affliction.

[osakagal08x]

marcusarkane,

in kamakura era, there's legendary Tomoe-gozen who fought many times on her horse with a big sword and survived up to the last 5 alive in a battle. was very good at archery, too. known to be worth more than a thousand male samurais. in sengoku era, there were many other female samurai(onna-musha) warriors who lead their military. some of them killed themselves when they lost their castles. it lives in your heart to be a samurai, not only with mere body.

[MichaelJDowney2]

Nice job. Thanks for sharing this important story with the world.

[silentblade007]

I visited her grave while in Japan, it was a very awesome feeling. Learned a lot, nice vid, and good work!

[54spiritedwill54]

That was interesting! :)

[nathanielpritish]

OK THEN ayasofya are serious? thts one stupid statement to make considering tht only 3,500 ppl died in the Boshin war and abt 300,000 died in just in the hiroshima and nagasaki bombing, forget abt the rest of the war. so maybe u should reconsider which war to actually remember cause tht sounds very naive and ignorant .

[secretarytocapt3]

N.Pritish the exact number of people who died during Boshin is not exact.

The reason why Aya. wrote that is due to regional memory of Boshin. If you pay attention, Ayasofya said he/she LIVES in Aizu which still to this day bares the scars of Boshin.

N. if you know US history, reflect that---people near major Civil War landmarks feel the same way especially if their ancestors fought + died in that war.

N, understand that history is about remember all wars and their causes.

[secretarytocapt3]

N. aside the fact that the *importance of history is not based on the number dead. It's about repercussions of the event.

For instance to understand Seinan War, comprehend Boshin. To understand WW2 you better pay attention to how the *victors of Boshin laid a groundwork for WW2 and even their descendents lead their country into that conflict.

[psyc217]

Respect To Akaoka Kotake !!!

[ayasofya]

thank you for posting.

I was born and still live in Aizu.

We never forget the war."The War" doesn't mean WWⅡ for us,that means Boshin War.　

[Pikadee47]

that was quite an interesting video. For having only four hours I'd say you did a wonderful job.

[HoneySenpai1]

Interesting

[bmw123321]

Nice vid

[alaskagrl37]

This is incredible.  I'm glad you posted this. I applause the Samurai Women!

[Tomi852]

She was 21 when she died... She would have deserved to live a long peaceful life

[decebal01]

"a life in training. 1000 sword strokes every day."

born to fight.

[secretarytocapt3]

dear decebal01, yes actually Nakano Takeko especially was raised that way. Her training did not start due to the war. Also there are other texts regarding the number of sword strokes other martial arts practitioners make in the morning. Pretty remarkable. Well, I'm a pacifist myself, but I wanted to show people that historically there were in fact real warrior women.

[sh0cktim3]

They need to put this movie production right now!!!

[haanhasa]

i want ask if anyone know these historical incidents and peoples meny different stories often portrayed in mangas,movies stc but what comes to saigo takamori whom the the story of last samurai(tom cruise movie) was also based there name was changed to katsumoto and when portrayed as saigo like in mangas i newer seen hes fase or nothing portrayed only woise why

[secretarytocapt3]

Well the Tom Cruise Movie LAST SAMURAI had fictional elements. Therefore, it was fair for them to change the name to "Katsumoto". The real Saigo Takamori was *different.

[Takekaze50]

He was. A traitor and warmongerer. And Last Samurai was garbage. Full of ridiculous errors.

Now, the Joshigun, they were heroes. And they are always, unjustly, forgotten. Everyone hypes those stupid boys, those Byakkotai. Pfff, panzies.

[Takekaze50]

I forgot: Satsuma never marched on Tokyo. They never even got off Kyushu. They were steamrolled eventually, simply because the Imperial side outnumbered them, because Saigo made a few horrible decisions and thus massive strategical errors and because no other samurai were willing to follow him (says enough I think). They did, additionally, use modern weapons.

[Kendokita]

I knew the story about Nakano Takeko. Nice vid, thank you for posting it

[kowa1985]

amazing story

[bluA7]

anybody want to study japanese with me?

[rampage342]

sure

[amazonwomyn]

Thank You. As a women, working towards embracing the way of the warrior, I was deeply inspired.

[secretarytocapt3]

Hello, thank you for your kind words. If anyone would like to read the biography and academic journal article on which this vid was based please just contact me privately. AGain, as strange as this scenario was...it was all historical and very tragic.

[TheCinderblockKid]

I am interested in historical military and social practices and the many facets of everyday life in different cultures. I've come across texts that describe the prowess Aizu Clanswomen had with the Naginata and the sheer ruthlessness with which they fought. They were not to be underestimated just because they were women. A similar western comparison would be that of the wives of Landesknecht who would train as zealously as their male counterparts.

[secretarytocapt3]

Hello TheCinderblockKid, you should make a vid on the wives of Landesknecht--I'd love to see it and use it as a vid reply here. If you check out the summary of my vid I note the article you can read to learn more. Or you can private message me. Thank you for your time.

[nickoteen13]

this story reminds me of Mulan

[bluecrush101]

incredible

[secretarytocapt3]

If anyone would like to read an academic paper of Nakano Takeko the real historical Last Samurai woman please contact arbakalian(a)gmail(dot)com

[rosyruolinhe]

all i can say is wow...i never knew all dis stuff

thanx

[secretarytocapt3]

TO Rosyruonlinhe, thanks I appreciate your comment. I also could not fit all the info into the vid (I don't have access to all the good software to improve the vid), all I can say is that this is the lesser known history of Japan because it shows those who were defeated in 1868.

[Bigboss5]

women samurai is an oxymoron. samurai is genderspecific as is bushi. the proper term for a woman of the warrior class trained in combat would be onna bugeisha.

[secretarytocapt3]

@BigBoss5---we are aware of the linguistic specifications however we were try to (in this case) translate the social class---I always want to cut and paste the Japanese into the vid but photoshop will not handle the kanji

[marcusarkane]

They were used only because the Aizu were outnumbered, they wouldn't actually be classed as samurai. I don't mean to be sexist but women are not made for combat, nor are they naturally inclined to it.

[secretarytocapt3]

@marcusarkane---you are inconrrect---these women were specifically of the samurai class and they took up arms (which they had trained in for years) out of their own choice. They also faced opposition from Aizu military leaders as well---see the vid summary and read the article for yourself before making judgements.

[grogro7]

Oh, secretarytocapt3.

I was surprised that you knew Joushigun.

There are few detailed persons even in the Japanese about the Boshin War.

I live in Fukushima Prefecture.

[takezo1977]

Congratulations .... GASHO

[zacuan]

Very cool story. We definitely need to hear more stories of outstanding women. I'm puting together a short video about women in Native American culture. They had a few warrior women as well. I have a video on Emma Goldman on my channel if anyone is interested.

[lupin402]

do you know that the declaration of independence was announced by women samurai ?

her name was masako hojo. her strong speech move samurai to unite under the shogun and lead to the victory agains the imperial army .

[balsamon]

hanz zimmer ^^ hehe i wonder what all ye chick tagged to find this

[CaramelQueen7]

That's a very cool story and I enjoyed watching this video alot. Was this your first time making a video like this?

[aozora318]

yes yes, i understand that this wasnt for entertainment and yes i am aware that this was a true story, etcetera, etcetera. i was just in a class discussion of this litterally an hour ago. im sure that you could make a better video, and i was merely just critiquing this particular video. and i suppose i was a bit harsh with the failing student comment, i take that back ive seen worse.

[secretarytocapt3]

I hope your class discussion was fruitful. I hope YOUR work on youtube is nothing short of *stellar in its technical merits and not merely the uploading of *OTHER people's work under your profile. FYI creators work with what they have in regards to computer sources---those limitations often confine creators from truly showing their full creative capabilities.

[annecain369]

A big thanks to the creator of this film for sharing a very interesting, and often neglected, piece of history. Poignant, sensitive and elegantly portrayed, The Samurai Women is as educational as it is artistic. The show of references is also a mark of true professionalism.

Though this might be lost on some viewers less receptive to the truth, the qualities of this film will always be appreciated by those of us willing to learn about historical facts.

[aozora318]

worst. video. ever! terrible editing, seems like it was done by a junior high student barely passing a digital media class. oh man, my entire intro to japanese history class watched this and we couldnt stop laughing at its poor quality. i applaud your effort and it was an interesting story, but you would have been better of sticking to a power point

[secretarytocapt3]

I think I stated as a reply to someone else that it was made with movie maker in a very short amount of time. As for aesthetics I deeply apologize for my inadequacy. I did not have access to more advanced movie making programs---nor footage to make it more "exciting". The point was not to entertain you.

[secretarytocapt3]

If I did have the equipment I can make a vid that would blow your mind---I've worked on advanced film projects before. I wasn't aware that youtube exists to merely entertain. FYI it's a true story not of glory seeking warriors but women who were pushed into a crisis they did not create.

[ratburi1981]

I am terrible! Japan is such a country. I respect Japan as an Asian.

[Aberforthette]

I have no doubt that you know better than me with regard to the historical context, and am not being argumentative for the sake of it.

[Aberforthette]

Samurai culture revolved aroung making kiling and killing efficiently into some kind of noble and honourable profession. Shielding the horror of it with cherry blossoms if you will. Very usueful for creating a military state. We may live in a different time and culture, one which has evolved and improved ethically, it is true. But I think that gives me the right to disagree with those who, intentionally or unintentionally, romanticise these characters onto realised figures from fiction.

[secretarytocapt3]

There is not "shielding the horror w/ cherry blossoms"...as a matter of fact I happen to research the brutality of this war. Again, I think you ought to focus on the perversion of bushido post 1868 and the resulting accelerated development of fascism in Japan. There are vids here on youtube which you ought to attack in its celebration of Pearl Harbor and attempt to deny war crimes. You are addressing the last person who would condone a military state.

[secretarytocapt3]

Furthermore I do not condemn/disdain "stereotypically feminine men" I believe you are raising issues which may be addressed elswhere (and are NOT even part of the vid).

Again if you read the write up for this vid and the academic article on which this vid was based you will have a very different POV. Just an FYI...these women were the VICTIMS of the IMPERIAL ARMY which in a couple of decades invaded China/Korea and became the killing machine which know in the 20th century.

[Aberforthette]

I'm not saying that YOU disdain effeminate men. That's the general view of society, which is patriarchal and still champions "male" behaviour as superior.

[Aberforthette]

The fact remains that this video still strikes me as romantic. Which I don't think the reality of it was. Would you disagree with me? I think it unlikely.

[crono738]

love the Last Samurai theme :D

[Aberforthette]

How very admirable. This woman 'aspired' to a role normally reserved for men - that of learning and becoming master of the "Art of the sword"- ie, becoming really efficient at killing people. Let's not make it romantic, ffs. This was a horrible and gruesome fight, and enjoying calligraphy in one's spare time makes no difference at all to the reality of it.

[secretarytocapt3]

Thanks for your comment. Although I'm not sure if I should interpret it as sarcasm or not. The intent of the video was show that women who were trained in military skills since youth, took up arms in a *defensive fight. The war, led by an inhumane enemy, literally came to them. In times of peace these women returned to their typical social role in a patriarchal society. Otherwise these women did not engage in murder nor did they "aspire" to mimic men. It

[secretarytocapt3]

It was a crisis situation they had no control. One female combatant even became a volunteer nurse in the Sino-Japanese war. Ironically, Nakano Takeko the leader of these women, rejected marriage prior to this invasion. Before you make a harsh judgment call on people who lived in a different time/culture educate yourself first. Also your time may be spent more wisely if you comment on videos posted by Japanese ultra-nationalists who -DO- celebrate and justify WW2 bloodshed.

[Aberforthette]

OK cool it. I watched this for the soundtrack, and I'm not picking on you particularly. But even if this was in "defence" why should anyone want to celebrate this person as a "gifted", "beautiful warrior"? What a talent!Why make a big deal of the fairly irrelevant fact that these people were female anyway? People think that women assuming the roles of men is admirable, but more stereotypically feminine men are condemned and disdained.

[Killautumn]

I don't think the creator was so much as praising, nor condemning the defensive actions taken upon this specific group of militia. Like she said, it's a true story that she wanted to tell.

[MisplacedNostalgia]

wow, i had no idea there were female samurais in combat. thanks for posting this education video, secretarytocapt3.

[tenchimuyo69]

Although official samurai females were rare they served probably the best service for intellegence and assasinations. No male samurai on the opposing faction would expect women to be able to fight well causing women the element of suprise and such. Even so, their only disadvantage to men was total war and open feild fighting due to morale issues.

[secretarytocapt3]

Dear Tenchi, if you read the article cited in this vid and mentioned in the write up you will realize that this was a historical situation where a castle town was under siege. Aizu samurai women also trained with guns such as Yamamoto Yaeko who later went on to cofound Doshisha University.

[secretarytocapt3]

Nakano Takeko was a certified martial arts practitioner and assisted in teaching as well. The Joushitai were not ninjas. Again seek out Prof. Wright's article which mention other alternatives women took such as evacuation, helping defend the castle, nursing the wounded and suicide.

[nazerul]

Is this a game?

[secretarytocapt3]

sorry, I put this vid under arts & entertainment when really it is history and education. No it's not a game...what you saw were real historical events and you can read details in this scholarly article

Wright, Diana E. "Female Combatants and Japan's Meiji Restoration: the case of Aizu" War in History 2001 v. 8 (4) pages 396-417

[Adventchild8]

I'm a girl and was cool!I love samurai and if ther was a game I'd probly buy it.

[therealslimshady232]

It was beautiful, but very rough. Concentrate on making the song transitions smoother, the writing segments more appealing. It could be much better, but awesome for a first try!

[juavt]

Errr... Quite a lag on the video.

[secretarytocapt3]

this video was created frame by frame with photoshop and windows movie maker---also your computer may be a bit slow---my computer plays all youtube vids with a "lag" as well

[ewrfgv]

wow inspiring

[MuMuLi]

wow, only 1000, that is about how much I do in kendo each day. Make it 10,00 and that would sound much more impresive.

[secretarytocapt3]

The video was posted as an example of a 19th century warrior woman. The event occurred in 1868, well before the advent of the solidification of kendo as a modern sport. Thus, this particular woman did practice and study under vastly different circumstances than your own. It wasn't really my intent to post the video to invite sarcasm or smart remarks in any way. If you disliked the video you could have just given it a low rating (that would've been more cool).

[secretarytocapt3]

MuMuLi, Or actually read about this woman in the article mentioned at the end of the video. Actually, if you look into koryu or classical martial arts you will encounter similar, extreme practice methods as well which seem to be "folklore" but in fact have a basis in reality.

[MuMuLi]

I think your vid was awsome, it is just my 2 cent to make your vid awsome-er

[nappyheaded]

Who knows maybe she did it with a suburito. Lol.

[Klyern]

i dont want to read this right now :( but because its 6 am in the morning xD imma read it later, but has far has i read: nice. how did you find all this?

[secretarytocapt3]

Klyern---I found all this while researching the Shinsengumi (and I assisted with this site http://www.shinsengumihq.com) and a friend had told me about them. I then sought out historical texts. We did a build a website for the Joushitai here: http://www.shinsengumihq.com/W­B.htm

[MarciusSpear]

Google Tomoe Gozen sometime

[secretarytocapt3]

for MarciusSpear---yes I've read about Tomoe Gozen! However, the case of the Joushitai is a bit unique from other legacies of women warriors because in their situation they were defending their home/domain. Specifically the Joushitai desired to protect Teruhime (Matsudaira Teru) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M­atsudaira_Teru

thus they were like female retainers.

[MarciusSpear]

and certainly didn't intend to detract from that, there certainly is a more noble sentiment of the brave defenders than the fierce invaders, I was just mentioning another brave warrior of the the female persuasion, that's all.

[secretarytocapt3]

oh I totally understand you---I think if Aizu was on the offensive there is a possibility that these women may have been part of that effort too. For example in the Seinan WAr (SAtsuma Rebellion)...that domain's women accompanied SAigo's army as they marched on Tokyo.

[VSyeira]

Oh wow, thanks for the suggestion. Will defin. check it out!

[VSyeira]

Wow, I really enjoyed this. I read some stuff (i'm heavy into the martial arts world) about rare cases of female samurai and warriors. Wow, you gave me inspiration on something to write up for my MA school's newsletter, thanks!

[secretarytocapt3]

Dear VSyeira, thank you for the kind words. Please seek out the article: Wright, Diana E. "Female Combatants and Japan's Meiji Restoration: the case of Aizu" War in History 2001 v. 8 (4) pages 396-417

you will be very happy that you did.

There are texts on these women in Japanese however, they were written during the Meiji to Taisho era and are difficult to read. We are lucky that Prof. Wright wrote this article.

[flareshadow]

That was interesting! :)

[cloud9membR]

I knew women have always played important roles outside of home even in past, never knew of women samurai tho...interesting...^_^

[secretarytocapt3]

Yes! In times of crisis samurai women did have these responsibilities as well. They had to "acquit" themselves well to protect their families or when they took to the field. Thank you for your comment--I appreciate it.

[secretarytocapt3]

Thank you for your time. It amazes me that these women don't have an anime or manga yet. I hope their story will be told with accuracy and respect in the future.

[cloud9membR]

that would be great if their story was told in manga or anime...def. in a movie...haha we have Last Samurai from man's pt. of view..now we need the Last Samurai from a woman's...I would def. watch.