She Asked Her Sister To Behead Her With Her Last Breath After Leading An All-Female Samurai Army Into War At Just 21

Long ago, a group of female samurai called the Onna-bugeisha existed. They were trained the same way as male samurai and were just as deadly.

One of the most notable Onna-bugeisha was Nakano Takeko, who was the head of a special female warrior group known as the Joshitai.

Nakano Takeko was born in the Aizu domain in April of 1847 to a powerful and well-respected family. Her father was a high-ranking court official. She was trained in martial arts her whole life and received a good education.

Since Takeko was born in a time of great conflict, she was no stranger to war and wanted to get in on the action. She was not satisfied with marrying and raising children while the men did all the fighting.

At the time, the Boshin War was being fought between the ruling Tokugawa clan and those who wanted to restore power to the imperial court.

In 1868, Takeko formed an all-female group of warriors to help defend their shogun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu, against the imperial forces.

She was only 21 years old. She led the Joshitai, which included her 40-year-old mother and 16-year-old sister, in the Battle of Aizu.

The battle took place in September 1868 and was one of the bloodiest battles of the Boshin War. The imperial forces had breached the walls of the Aizu domain's castle. The Joshitai fought with all their might alongside the male samurai.

Takeko was a highly skilled and fearless warrior, but in the end, she was fatally wounded during the battle, taking a shot to the chest.

kharchenkoirina - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only, not the actual person - pictured above is a woman in a red dress holding samurai swords

With her last breath, she asked her sister to behead her so that the enemies couldn't take her body as a trophy.

Her sister carried out her request and buried her head in a secret location: under the roots of a pine tree in the temple Aizo Bangemachi. Later, a monument was built there to honor Takeko's memory and bravery.

The Joshitai persisted without her, but the Aizu domain eventually fell to the imperial forces. Many members of the Joshitai were taken prisoner and executed. Takeko's sister was one of them.

Takeko is regarded as the last great female samurai warrior. She and the Joshitai's actions were controversial at the time, as Japanese society did not accept the idea of women in war.

But ultimately, they proved that they were just as capable as men of defending their country. Their courage, determination and sacrifice are not to be overlooked. They are an important part of Japan's history and culture.

After Takeko died, the Onna-bugeisha disbanded. However, there were still female warriors. Throughout the 1800s, women continued to engage in combat.

But over time, the concept that samurai warriors were just big, strong men took over, and the legacy of the Onna-bugeisha was forgotten.

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