Naginata Art and Samurai Women—The History of How the Naginata Became a Woman's Weapon and Its Modern Inheritance

When Did the Naginata Become a "Woman's Weapon"?

In the modern era, the naginata has become associated with a martial art practiced by women. However, looking back at history, the naginata was originally a male weapon. So why and when did the naginata become linked with women? This article traces that turning point.

The Naginata in the Heian–Kamakura Periods—A Male Warrior's Weapon of Monks and Samurai

The naginata first appears in historical documents from the late Heian period (around the 10th–11th centuries). Initially, it was a weapon favored by warrior monks (sōhei) at temples such as Mount Hiei and Kofukuji. Its shape—a single-edged blade affixed to a long shaft—was effective for foot soldiers and monks pulling mounted samurai from their horses, and was also used for sweeping enemy formations in group combat.

During the Kamakura period, mounted warriors also carried the naginata, and descriptions of generals wielding it in combat remain in the Tale of the Heike. The image of Benkei at the Fifth Street Bridge carrying a naginata also reflects the masculine naginata view of that era.

At this stage, the naginata was clearly a male warrior's weapon.

The Transition in the Southern and Northern Courts–Muromachi Periods—Enlargement and "Naginata Straightening"

In the Southern and Northern Courts period (14th century), the naginata became the larger "great naginata (ōnaginata)" and dominated the battlefield. However, as the Sengoku period began, the more mobile spear (yari) began to replace the naginata.

Reasons the naginata withdrew from its central role on the battlefield:

• The spear was longer than the naginata and better suited to forming battle lines in group combat
• Large-scale deployment of foot soldiers (ashigaru) became the norm, and the spear—easier to operate than the naginata, which required individual skill—became advantageous
• The naginata is a slashing weapon; the spear is a thrusting weapon. Against armored opponents on the battlefield, thrusting proved more effective

Important in this transition is the phenomenon known as "naginata-naoshi" (naginata straightening). Blacksmiths would shorten and polish the original naginata blade to repurpose it as a side sword or katana. Many of the swords now transmitted as "wakizashi" actually originate from naginata-naoshi.

Early Edo Period—The Beginning of Naginata Instruction for Women

The naginata came to be positioned as a woman's weapon during the early to mid-Edo period. The background:

"Household Defense" Logic of the Samurai Class: With the end of the Sengoku wars, opportunities for husbands (samurai) to be away from home due to sankin-kōtai (mandatory attendance at the shogun's court) and official duties increased. It became considered rational for samurai wives and daughters to learn naginata to defend the castle and mansion.

Physical Reasons the Naginata Was "Suited to Women": Because the naginata leverages centrifugal force through its long shaft, it was considered effective even for those with smaller frames or less arm strength than men. Moreover, the naginata's characteristic of "maintaining distance" was said to be well-suited for self-defense against physically larger opponents.

Integration with Samurai Women's Education: The naginata came to be taught as a samurai "house art" alongside swordsmanship, archery, and etiquette, and naginata practice was incorporated as part of a bride's training.

Particularly in powerful daimyo families, the naginata became a required form of self-defense training for young daughters. In domains with strong samurai traditions such as the Aizu, Kii, and Satsuma clans, naginata education received special emphasis.

Mid to Late Edo Period—The Emergence of Naginata Dojos and Female Masters

By the 17th–18th centuries, naginata instruction for samurai women had spread nationwide, and professional female instructors and master teachers began to emerge.

Various schools of swordsmanship such as the Kyōshin Meichi-ryū and Jikishin Kage-ryū organized formal kata (patterns) of naginata technique and established systematic training methods for women. This systematization provided the foundation for elevating the naginata from a mere weapon to a "martial art."

By the late Edo period, women from wealthy merchant families as well as samurai families began to practice naginata, and its meaning expanded from a "samurai refinement" to "proof of a woman's grace and refinement."

The Reality of the End of the Edo Period—Women Who Fought with Naginata

During the turbulent period from the end of the Edo era to the early Meiji period, there are documented instances of samurai women actually fighting with naginata.

Aizu During the Boshin War (1868): Women from the Aizu clan reportedly fought against the new government forces with naginata. There are accounts of female combat units called "jōshitai" (women's corps) (though some later accounts include embellishment and exaggeration, the participation of women in combat is confirmed by multiple historical sources).

Nakano Takeko: Daughter of an Aizu samurai and a naginata master. She participated in actual combat during the Boshin War and is said to have died in battle after being shot. Her story continues to be told in Aizuwakamatsu City today and has become a source of regional pride.

On the New Government Side Too: Records remain of women carrying naginata and long swords among the Shinsengumi and various women's volunteer units throughout the country.

These examples demonstrate that naginata education for women throughout the Edo period was not merely "etiquette" but functioned as martial skill with real combat capability.

Meiji–Taishō Periods—Naginata as School Physical Education

After the Meiji Restoration, with the abolition of the samurai class system, the context of naginata education for samurai women changed. However, far from disappearing, the naginata was redefined as a physical education subject in modern girls' education.

From the Meiji 30s–40s (1897–1910s), naginata began to be taught in girls' schools and was institutionalized as a means of physical training, etiquette education, and spiritual cultivation. The purposes of naginata education during this period:

• Improvement of physique and posture (building correct physical form)
• Cultivation of etiquette and propriety (learning from the courtesy of practice)
• Development of spiritual strength (warrior spirit to endure hardship)
• Embodiment of the grace of a "Yamato Nadeshiko" (ideal Japanese woman)

There were also nationalist militarist aspects, and the state promoted naginata education to improve women's physical and spiritual strength. As a result, however, the naginata became widely recognized as "a traditional martial art inherited by Japanese women."

Modern Naginata Martial Art—The All Japan Naginata Federation and Competitive Development

The modern naginata has been systematized and developed as a competitive martial art.

The All Japan Naginata Federation (established 1955) oversees the discipline, with both formats—enbu (formal demonstrations) and shiai (competitive matches with protective gear)—now standardized. The current registered population numbers in the tens of thousands, with the vast majority being women.

Characteristics of competitive naginata:

• Use of a bamboo naginata implement called "ei" instead of a bamboo sword
• Target areas: face, torso, and shins—three areas. The inclusion of shin strikes is distinctive to naginata martial arts
• Kata (formal patterns): traditional techniques performed in pairs

Naginata clubs exist at high schools and universities nationwide, and the sport is now an official event at the Interhigh (All Japan High School Athletic Competition). Particularly in regions with strong samurai cultural traditions in northeastern and Kyushu areas, there is a higher tendency for joining naginata clubs.

Global Expansion—The International Naginata Federation

Naginata has spread internationally, with over 20 countries affiliated with the International Naginata Federation. Dojos exist throughout Europe, North America, and Australia.

A characteristic of naginata's reception abroad is strong interest in its "unique brand as a Japanese women's martial art." Though more niche than kendo, judo, or karate, this very factor attracts practitioners who identify as "inheritors of authentic Japanese martial arts."

Conclusion—The Naginata Is Not a "Women's Weapon," but a "Weapon Inherited by Women"

Looking back at naginata history, we see that the modern image of a "women's weapon" is not an inevitable historical product, but rather was formed through social changes from the Sengoku to Edo periods.

Originally a male warrior and monk's weapon, the naginata was adopted as a form of self-defense for samurai women, systematized as a martial art, educational practice, and competitive sport, and passed down to the present day. In this process, practitioners of actual combat like Nakano Takeko emerged, and the naginata was refined not as mere "formal etiquette" but as "a martial art that actually works."

Modern women learning naginata inherit over 400 years of Japanese women's martial lineage. It is not merely a "women's sport," but a living cultural heritage where Japanese samurai culture and women's history intersect.