Akiko Yamamoto
Encyclopedia
Akiko Yamamoto was a female samurai, or onna-bugeisha, from the early Tokugawa Period in Japanese history. She lived in the mid 17th century. She is well known for her unique character in being one of the few female samurai
s of her period. She traveled extensively and created much turmoil wherever she went.
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
s of her period. She traveled extensively and created much turmoil wherever she went.