Aizu

Yaeko “Yae” Yamamoto Niijima is not very well known. She is not known here in the western world and she is known barely in her home country of Japan. This, to me, is a sad thing because Yae is one of the most remarkable women I have ever heard about. The daughter of a samurai, a teacher, a nurse and a warrior Yae should be better known than she is because her tale is one of strength, determination, grief, and forgiveness. A woman who took no guff and one that is finally being recognized for what she did. And I fee that it is time that the Joan of Arch of Aizu have her due because everyone should at least know a bit about this incredible woman. To understand who Yae Yamamoto is I have to go into her history a bit. Yae was born November 3, 1845…

peace for warring clans like and onna-bugeisha. Thus, the need for combat-ready warriors waned, and samurai became more of a social class than anything else. Those in the samurai class trained their sons and daughters in the way of the samurai out of tradition rather than the previous necessity. With the newly instilled caste system, it is not illogical to assume that women may have received less training. However in isolated archipelagos and mainland communities far removed from the capital,…

considered onna-bugeisha as they rarely, if ever, engage in combat and often constantly need another’s protection. Gender Bending to Create Onna-bugeisha Critiques who regard the fantasy elements as a means of entertainment not modern gender stereotypes, must then compare gender expressions of then and now. Between the Kofun and late Edo Period, being a woman and a warrior was not a contradiction. Societal expectations were very similar for men and women during this time. In actuality, it was…