Tomoe Gozen
Gozen / Lady Tomoe Gozen | |
|---|---|
| 巴 御前 | |
Tomoe Gozen, by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi | |
| Leader | Minamoto no Yoshinaka (commander) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1157 |
| Died | 1247 (aged 89–90) |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Occupation | Buddhist Nun (After the Battle of Awazu) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | The Minamoto clan (Specifically Minamoto no Yoshinaka) |
| Years of service | One (1182) |
| Battles/wars | Battle of Awazu |
| Military role/occupation | Onna-musha (Before the Battle of Awazu) |
Tomoe Gozen (巴 御前, Japanese pronunciation: [tomo.e]) was an onna-musha, a female samurai, mentioned in The Tale of the Heike. There is doubt as to whether she existed as she doesn't appear in any primary accounts of the Genpei war. She only appears in the epic "The tale of the Heike". She served under samurai lord Minamoto no Yoshinaka during the Battle of Awazu, part of the Genpei War in the late Heian period, which led to the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate.