women warriors – Tracy Cooper-Posey

The Onna-Musha: Japan’s Forgotten Women Warriors

2 Comments / Historical Stuff / August 2, 2026 / Boshin War, Feudal Japan, historical women, history, Japanese Culture, Japanese History, Meiji Restoration, Military History, Naginata, Nakano Takeko, Onna-Musha, Samurai, Warrior Women, women in history, women warriors / 4 minutes of reading

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.

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Julie d’Aubigny: The Bisexual Sword-Fighting Opera Singer History Couldn’t Handle

History didn’t know what to do with Julie d’Aubigny—opera singer, duelist, seductress, and unapologetic force of nature. She burned through 17th-century France with a sword in one hand and a scandal in the other, refusing to be anyone but herself. This is the story of a woman who lived louder than history was ready for.