Trivia Question: Tomoe Gozen is an example of a female samurai. What is the specific term for such a warrior?
Answer: Onna-Musha
Tomoe wielded a bladed polearm called a naginata. During the Genpei War, her loyal service led to the dominance of Japan’s first shogunate. Onna-Musha in general were quite rare because of Japan’s strict gender roles, but during times of great warfare, such gender norms were eased up for the sake of practicality.
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