For the most part, with their husbands in constant combat, woman remained at home and it as their duty to maintain the household. This meant caring for the children, educating the children, keeping records, dealing with finances, and defending the home. Of course, it was not all “June cleaver” business, for there were a few duties characteristic of the Samurai that women had. For the latter obligation (defending the home), most women wielded a polearm called the naginata, they also wielded a knife called the Kaiken. Woman carried these weapons with them at all times, just as the Samurai carried theirs. A strange duty included cleaning and preparing the decapitated head of the enemy to present to the general.

For woman, there were many traits that had to be upheld, they included humility, obedience, self control, loyalty, and strength. At this time, women were also excluded from political affairs, although that is not to say they were powerless. There were many women at this time period who displayed power. For instance, the wife of Ashikaga Yoshimasa, Hino Tomiko, quickly took his place after he lost interest in politics. There were also woman who presided over their husband decisions.

There are tales also of the perfect Samurai wife. This includes the one of Chiyo, who supposedly saved pennies and pennies by living frugally and making her kimono out of old bits of cloth. She then bought her husband a wonderful steed, helping him tremendously in battle.

At the time, men were attracted o woman of strength, those who “emancipated themselves from the frailty of their sex and displayed a heroic fortitude”. Thus, young woman trained themselves to repress feelings, and master their own weapons. As the years went by, education was also desired among woman. In fact, men would place education as heavy criteria in choosing desirable candidates for marriage. With that said, by he end of the Tokugwa period, nearly every woman in Japan was literate.

Like Samurai, women were also expected to commit Seppuku when the family was dishonored, or she herself had been dishonored. They did not however, commit the act as the men did. They did so in a less painful fashion, they would use their knife to cut the jugular vein in their neck. This was also known as Jigai.

As you can see, although women are not well known in terms of Samurai, they did play a huge role. They were also great fighters, and there were in fact a handful of Woman Samurai.