Why can't woman be Samurai?

Question

I read a previous post from yesterday and many said that is was a statue not something a woman can be, is this true?

Answer 1

There were two ways people could be samurai.  Different time periods had differing rules, as well, but let's keep it simple.

1)  Acts of conspicuous bravery, as was done with Europeans on the battlefields.

2) Some families were samurai, where the title "samurai" was hereditary, a form of nobility.

Women were samurai from both sources.

Answer 2

The samurai are very in the same way, comparable to the knights of medevil europe.

You can say that they dont exist anymore, but everybody should know that. The real reason was because there laws and codes that forbade women to become samurai, as the same for lower class workers in japan, as samurai were well respected, normally in families that had long lines of samurai, and they were also generally in the upper class of japanese society. But, women did play important roles in serving the samurai in their own families. They would keep the homes in order if the samurai was away, raise the children until they were ready to become samurai (boys only).

The main reason was the cultural beliefs at the time. They believed that women were not capable as warriors, and thus had to play different roles. They also believed for a time that women were inferior.

Answer 3

Yes it is true as the first answer stated but it is not true that their are not MODERN day versions that carry on the traditions of the Samurai.

I am a Modern Female Samurai but I would never have been allowed to be one during their hay days being a woman even if I was Asian.  

Yes woman did learn to fight but usually used bows or Naginatas and such.

Answer 4

Because they don't exist anymore, duh.

Answer 5

Yes it's true.

It was a belief to people back then that women were inferior, so they were forbidden to be samurai.

Answer 6

In the first place, there are no longer any Samurai.  It is a concept from feudal Japanese culture of many hundreds of years ago.  A person can no longer call themselves a Samurai than one can call themselves a Conquistador.

In ancient Japan, a man's and woman's roles WERE very restricted and CULTURE was as strong an influence as any laws.  However, there were codes, equivilant to legal statutes that determined who could or could not be Samuarai.  There was no way, for example, that a peasant farm worker could EVER become Samurai, no matter how skillful a warrior he might become.  It was also true that a woman could never become one, either.

Answer 7

Hi there

It is true that the bushi samurai class were born into being samurai and that women had a very traditional role to play. Sometime a honory position was granted and there is a famous example in Japanese history where this happend. This was made into the poplar TV series Shogun.

There are however many famous Japanese works of art that show female warriors on the battlefield fighting side by side the samurai wielding naganata which is a large pole arm weapon. I'm not sure what their exact title or role would have been but they are pictured wearing yori armour just like the samurai? Maybe someone on here who has knowledge of the  sangoku and edo periods may be able to give you the definitive answer?

However there were female shinobi in action during the warring states period called kumonchi who were very effective at infiltration and information gathering.

As for modern day practitioners there are plenty and there is one particular koryu school of iaido that the next in line soke is female. I cant remember the ryu name but she appeared on the TV show mind, body and kick *** moves. Sadly today there are no more ninjas or samurai only practitioners who practice certain aspects of the role.

Make no mistake females play their part in every conflict.

Best wishes

idai