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LiveScience
LiveScience
Owen Jarus

Did Japan have female samurai?

An ancient painting of a woman in green armor riding a white horse, her black hair flowing behind her with a tree in the background.

The samurai of Japan are famous for being skilled warriors who followed a code of honor. In popular culture and museums, samurai are often depicted as men, which raises a question: Were any samurai women?

Female samurai existed and there is some evidence that they fought in battle, several experts told Live Science. But how often they fought is a matter of debate, with some scholars calling it very rare and others suggesting it happened more often.

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