Samurai women

? She was an excellent ____________________ and as a swordswoman she was a warrior worth a thousand , ready to fight a demon or a god , on horseback or on foot ? .
Tomoe Gozen is one of the fearsome ____________________ featured in the ____________________ , a 13th - Century epic poem that is the source of numerous legends .

The ____________________ ( as they are called in Japanese ) are not just a mythical element : the history of Japan is full of cases of female ____________________ .
One of them is Nakano Takeko ( 1847 - 1868 ) , who at just 21 years old led the Joshitai female ____________________ .

She defended Wakamatsu Castle during the Boshin ____________________ , ignoring commanders who ____________________ of women in battle .
Her weapon was the naginata , a ____________________ with a curved blade at the end .

She , along with her battle companions , led the defense of the fortress , taking down numerous rivals until she received a rifle ____________________ in her chest .
To prevent her corpse from being captured by enemies as a war ____________________ , she asked her sister to end her life and give her an honorable funeral .
Nakano Takeko was a real samurai , but she is also a legend . Her remains rest next to a statue depicting her wielding her ____________________ .