Miyohime (美代姫) or Enkyū Myōgetsu (圓久妙月) was a Japanese

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 late-

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 a retainer of

Ryūzōji clan was a Japanese kin group which traces its origin to Hizen Province on the island of Kyushu. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"Hōki"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 802. History The clan was founded by Fujiwara no Suekiyo in 1186. The clan was a ...

. After her husband and

Ryūzōji Takanobu was a Japanese ''daimyō'' in Hizen Province during the Sengoku period. Takanobu was the head of the Ryūzōji clan. Biography Takanobu was the grandson of Ryūzōji Iekane (1454-1546). His father was Ryûzôji Chikaie and his mother was Ke ...

were slain in the

Battle of Okitanawate The , also known as the Battle of Shimabara, was fought on May 3 of 1584 between the combined forces of the Shimazu and Arima clans, and the Ryūzōji army. Ryūzōji Takanobu was attacking a number of independent clans close to his territories. ...

, she became the head of 'Kamafunatsu castle' and 'Hyakutake clan'.

Biography

Born in 1553, she was the wife of Hyakutake Tomokane, the castellan of Kamafunatsu castle. Hyakutake (meaning ''"100 warriors"''), who served the

, was given his last name because his valour in battle was so great that he was said to have the skill of 100 warriors. During battles against the

Ōtomo clan The was a Japanese samurai family whose power stretched from the Kamakura period through the Sengoku period, spanning over 400 years. The clan's hereditary lands lay in Kyūshū. Origins The first family head, Ōtomo Yoshinao (1172–1223), ...

, Miyohime wielded a

naginata The ''naginata'' (, , ) is a polearm and one of several varieties of traditionally made Japanese blades ('' nihontō''). ''Naginata'' were originally used by the samurai class of feudal Japan, as well as by ashigaru (foot soldiers) and sōhei ( ...

and led soldiers into battle herself in order to defend their castle. In 1570, Miyohime assisted

Nabeshima Naoshige was a warlord of the Sengoku and early Edo periods and progenitor of the Nabeshima lords of the Saga Domain. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"Nabeshima Naoshige"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 680. Naoshige was the second son of . His mothe ...

in defending

Saga Castle is a Japanese castle located in Saga City, Saga Prefecture, Japan. It is a ''hiraijirō'', a castle built on a plains rather than a hill or mountain, and is surrounded by a wall rather than being built above a stone base. Saga castle was home t ...

when it was surrounded by a 60,000-man Ōtomo clan army, and it is said that she commanded standing soldiers at the door. When

attacked the

Arima clan The is a Japanese samurai family. Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)">DF 6-7 of 80">"Arima," ''Nobiliare du Japon'', pp. 2-3 DF 6-7 of 80/nowiki> retrieved 2013-5- ...

in 1582, Shimazu Yoshihisa declared war against the Ryūzōji clan. In the

on May 3, 1584, the Shimazu and Arima army commanded by Shimazu Iehisa">Shimazu clan">Shimazu and Arima army commanded by Shimazu Iehisa marched to Shimabara, Nagasaki">Shimabara. The Ryūzōji army was well armed with muskets and intimidated the enemy. Miyohime and her husband were part of the siege defense. When the Shimazu enticed the Ryūzōji into a false retreat, Takanobu led his troops to pursue the Shimazu. Many Shimazu soldiers attacked Takanobu from behind and beheaded him. Tomokane died in the battle. Miyohime heard the death of Takanobu first, and believed it was certain that her husband had also been killed. She became a Buddhist nun and changed her name to Enkyū-ni. However, Naoshige ordered her to defend her husband's castle, so she re-entered Kamafunatsu castle with a small garrison. In September, Tachibana Dōsetsu and Takahashi Shigetane, Takahashi Jōun rebelled against Ryūzōji clan. Miyohime successfully defended Kamafunatsu castle, clearing the enemy with reinforcements from Nakano Kiyoaki. After the victory, on the grounds that being a nun made her unsuitable to be castellan, she renounced her role of castellan. After resigning her military career, she probably lived as a Buddhist nun until the last day of her life. Enkyū-ni survived the entire Period of Warring States, dying on August 16, 1615, months after the

Siege of Osaka A siege () . is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or by well-prepared assault. Siege warfare (also called siegecrafts or poliorcetics) is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict charact ...

, the final battle that ended the Sengoku period and initiated the

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...

.百武志摩守と圓久尼
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References

Bibliography

* 佐賀新聞社 (2006/12).『五州二島の太守龍造寺隆信』. Women of the Sengoku period 1553 births Samurai 16th-century Japanese people Women in 16th-century warfare 16th-century Japanese women 1615 deaths 17th-century Japanese women 16th-century women rulers Japanese Buddhist nuns 16th-century Buddhist nuns 17th-century Buddhist nuns Ryūzōji clan Female castellans in Japan {{Japan-mil-bio-stub

Biography

See also

References

Bibliography