August 2, 2026

History has a habit of changing its mind. Japan’s women warriors were long known in English as onna-bugeisha, but historians increasingly use the more accurate term onna-musha—women who actually fought. Discover the remarkable story of Nakano Takeko, the fearless warrior who led a band of women into one of the final battles of the samurai era, and learn how a simple change in terminology reflects a deeper understanding of Japan’s past.