Myōki (妙喜) or Myokini (妙喜尼) was a Japanese female warrior (

Onna-musha ''Onna-musha'' (女武者) is a term referring to female warriors in pre-modern Japan. These women fought in battle alongside samurai men. They were members of the ''bushi'' (warrior) class in feudal Japan and were trained in the use of weapons ...

) from the

Sengoku period The was a period in History of Japan, Japanese history of near-constant civil war and social upheaval from 1467 to 1615. The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the Feudalism, feudal system of Japan under the ...

. She was the daughter of Tōyama Naokage and wife of Suwabe Sadakatsu. Myōki was best known for defending Hio castle in

Musashi Province was a province of Japan, which today comprises Tokyo Metropolis, most of Saitama Prefecture and part of Kanagawa Prefecture. It was sometimes called . The province encompassed Kawasaki and Yokohama. Musashi bordered on Kai, Kōzuke, Sagami, S ...

against the

Takeda clan The was a Japanese samurai clan active from the late Heian period until the late 16th century. The clan was historically based in Kai Province in present-day Yamanashi Prefecture. The clan reached its greatest influence under the rule of Taked ...

attack.

Defense of Hio Castle

Myōki's husband was Suwabe Sadakatsu the lord of Hio castle and retainer of

Later Hōjō clan The was one of the most powerful samurai families in Japan in the Sengoku period and held domains primarily in the Kantō region. Their last name was simply Hōjō (北条) but in order to differentiate between the earlier Hōjō clan with the ...

. In 1568

Takeda Shingen , of Kai Province, was a pre-eminent ''daimyō'' in feudal Japan. Known as the "Tiger of Kai", he was one of the most powerful daimyō with exceptional military prestige in the late stage of the Sengoku period. Shingen was a warlord of great ...

laid siege in

Hachigata Castle was a Sengoku period Japanese castle, located in the town of Yorii, Saitama Prefecture, in the Kantō region of Japan. Its ruins have been protected as a National Historic Site since 1932. Overview Hachigata Castle was located on a peninsula su ...

, which was controlled by

Hōjō Ujikuni was a samurai of the Sengoku period, and the third son of Hōjō Ujiyasu. Ujikuni was a high-ranking commander in the invasion of Kozuke Province, Kōzuke was contested between the later Hōjō clan, the Takeda and the Uesugi clans. He was al ...

, but Ujikuni successfully defended. After this, Shingen launched several attacks in the provinces of Suruga, Totomi,

Sagami Sagami may refer to: * Sagami, an 11th-century ''waka'' poet *Sagami Province, an old province in Japan *Sagami River, a river in Kanagawa and Yamanashi *Sagami Bay, a bay south of Kanagawa Prefecture in Honshū *Sagami Line, a railway roughly along ...

and Musashi against the Hōjō and

Imagawa clan was a Japanese samurai clan that claimed descent from the Seiwa Genji by way of the Kawachi Genji. It was a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Ashikaga clan. Origins Ashikaga Kuniuji, grandson of Ashikaga Yoshiuji, established himself in the ...

. In December 1569,

Yamagata Masakage also known as Obu Masakage was a Japanese samurai warrior of the Sengoku period. He is known as one of the "Twenty-Four Generals of Takeda Shingen". He was famous for his red armour and skill in battlefield, and was a personal friend of Takeda ...

marched to the Hio castle, an unexpected attack, Myoki went into battle for an unusual reason, her husband was drunk and could not lead the defense. Myoki decided to take the lead, she left the party with her maids carrying sake, summoned the soldiers, armed herself, and went to the castle door. Therefore, it is said that Sadakatsu entrusted the castle to his wife. She commanded troops on the front line and held it until the warlord woke up. The case of Hio castle being defended by a woman when the castle lord was drunk gained attention from the enemy army. Even after this, Myōki successfully defended the castle and Takeda's troops retreated.

References

People of Sengoku-period Japan Women of medieval Japan Samurai Japanese women in warfare 16th-century Japanese people Women in 16th-century warfare 16th-century Japanese women {{Japan-mil-bio-stub