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

Onna-musha is a term referring to female warriors in pre-modern Japan, who were members of the ''bushi'' (warrior) class. They were trained in the use of weapons to protect their household, family, and honour in times of war; many of them fought in battle ...

) from the

Sengoku period The was the period in History of Japan, Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as th ...

. 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 Provinces of Japan, province of Japan, which today comprises Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolis, most of Saitama Prefecture and part of Kanagawa Prefecture. It was sometimes called . The province encompassed Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Kawasaki and Yokohama. ...

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 , but were called "Later Hōjō" to differentiate between the earlier Hōjō clan who h ...

. In 1568

Takeda Shingen was daimyō, daimyo of Kai Province during the Sengoku period of Japan. Known as "the Tiger of Kai", he was one of the most powerful daimyo of the late Sengoku period, and credited with exceptional military prestige. Shingen was based in a p ...

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

. In December 1569, Yamagata Masakage 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. 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

Women of the Sengoku period Samurai 16th-century Japanese people 16th-century Japanese women {{Japan-mil-bio-stub