Women and Japanese Swords — Changing Custodians of Sword Culture

Though Japanese swords are often seen as a male domain, women's connection to swords runs deep through history.

Tomoe Gozen: Consort and female warrior of Minamoto no Yoshinaka. A legendary figure who fought with a tachi on the battlefield.

Kaiken culture: Warrior-class women customarily carried a small knife (kaiken) for self-defense. Tanto were part of wedding trousseau.

Modern Touken Joshi: Touken Ranbu sparked a surge of young female sword fans, dramatically changing museum demographics.

Female togishi and smiths: Today, women work as polishers and swordsmiths, bringing fresh perspectives to a traditionally male craft.