Nakano takeko biography

Japanese female warrior

In this Japanese name, the surname is Nakano.

Nakano Takeko (中野 竹子, April 1847 – 16 October 1868) was a Japanese female warrior of the Aizu Domain, who fought and died during the Boshin War.

During the Battle of Aizu, she fought with a naginata (a Japanese polearm) and was the leader of an ad hoc corps of female combatants who fought in the battle independently.

Takeko and other women stepped forward on the front line without permission, as the senior Aizu retainers did not allow them to fight as an official part of the domain's army.^[1] This unit was later retroactively called the Jōshitai (娘子隊, Girls' Army).

Nakano takeko biography

History

Early years

Born in Edo, Nakano Takeko was the firstborn daughter of Nakano Heinai (1810–1878), an official of Aizu, and of Nakano Kōko (1825–1872), daughter of Oinuma Kinai, samurai in the service of Toda of the Ashikaga domain.

She had a younger brother and sister. Their residence was in Beidai Nin