The term “ninja” is one that will excite a lot of people. We see them all over the media – dressed head-to-toe in black and always wielding katanas and shuriken (ninja stars).
We won’t lie, ninjas are awesome, but there is a lot more to them than many of us might know.
Ninjas, or shinobi, were known as covert agents, guerilla warfare experts, or mercenaries that lived in feudal Japan. These people were trained in the ancient Japanese martial arts and hired for things like assassinations and espionage.
The most famous ninja in history was Hattori Hanzo (1542–1596). He became the Iga ninja’s leader and palace guard for the Tokugawa Shogunate. However, as cool as all ninjas are, have you ever wondered who the most famous female ninja was?
Who Was The Most Famous Female Ninja?
Mochizuki Chiyome was the most famous female ninja (kunoichi) in history, as far as anyone can tell.
While information is hard to come by, it is thought that Chiyome was a noblewoman married to Mochizuki Nobumasa, a powerful samurai warlord. She is thought to be from the Koga ninja clan, and a terrifying adversary.
According to historians, Chiyome was left home as her husband went to war, and left under the care of Takeda Shingen, her husband’s uncle and a famous daimyo.
During this time, Shingen approached Mochizuki Chiyome with a mission. This mission was to recruit and train women to be part of a vast underground network for espionage.
It is believed that Mochizuki Chiyome found the perfect place to set up headquarters – Nazu village. This was located in the Shinshu region, where she then recruited roughly 300 women and girls.
These recruits were primarily war victims, former prostitutes, and many orphans.
Many believed that she was actually in charge of an unofficial orphanage to help children who lost their parents.
However, she actually used it as a guise for training her recruits, all in the name for them to become invaluable members of the espionage network.
These recruits were trained in various ways. They were trained in disguises so that they could fit in anywhere, as well as martial arts. Some popular disguises they were trained in include geisha, prostitutes, and priestesses at Shinto shrines (miko).
It is believed that Mochizuki Chiyome was able to serve Shingen for a number of years before he mysteriously died in 1573.
Mochizuki Chiyome In Literature And Modern Creations
Anyone who has played Assassin’s Creed: Memories might recognize the name Mochizuki Chiyome. She was a character in this game, and was enlisted by the Templars following the death of Shingen.
There are other works that feature or are based on Mochizuki Chiyome. One of these is Shadow Warrior.
However, she also features in games such as Nobunaga’s Ambition: Souzou, Toukiden: The Age of Demons, and Puzzle & Dragons, among others.
It is clear to see that such a figure has found her way into a variety of modern works, with many of them being video games.
Not that we’re surprised, because who wouldn’t want to include such a strong and cunning historical figure in these games?
How Common Were Female Ninjas?
Many people like to think of female ninjas, or kunoichi as a myth, but they were very much real. There are records of them from esoteric records about ninjas known as the “Bansen-shukai (萬川集海)”.
This was written some time in the Edo Period (1603–1868).
These female ninjas were trained for espionage. In many cases, these women worked as servants for enemies, and conducted surveillance and silent assassinations.
Kunoichi would also use their ability to extract information from their enemies through sleeping with the men – a tactic that worked incredibly well.
It is possible that kunoichi were more common than we think. This is because they were trained so well to be secretive and remain covert in their missions. Japan was dominated by men within the samurai class.
These men very rarely trusted other men as they were seen as a threat. However, they did not usually see women as a threat.
This gave women the distinct advantage of being underestimated. Because they were seen as “harmless” in their social roles of being servants and similar things, many kunoichi were likely able to remain covert.
This means that we will likely never know the extent of female ninjas in history, or how much they impacted the country.
History Disputes Everything
It is worth pointing out that a lot still is not known about Mochizuki Chiyome. The truth is, there is a lot that we will never know about this famous woman because of how secretive ninjas are.
Not only that, but some historians even argue that Mochizuki Chiyome never existed at all. Some claim that this was a name that several different women took up.
Others simply claim that, if Mochizuki Chiyome was real, her deeds are greatly exaggerated.
So, in the end, there are more questions than answers, and we do what we can with the information given to us. For now, Mochizuki Chiyome stands as the most famous female ninja in history, but take everything you read with a grain of salt.
Final Thoughts
So, Mochizuki Chiyome is the most female ninja that we know of. However, it is important to remember that there are historians who dispute her actions, and even her existence.
This means that, while we do have information on this historical figure, it might not all be accurate.
It is likely that Mochizuki Chiyome existed, and that the records are right, but we can never know for sure. Thanks to how secretive ninjas were, and the importance of remaining covert, we are left with more questions than answers.
Nonetheless, if Mochizuki Chiyome did exist, then she was certainly a very impressive kunoichi. It comes as no surprise that she is featured in so many video games and works of literature.
I hope that, by exploring this website, you all will develop a much deeper appreciation for Japan, and that it may even influence you to pay it a visit yourself eventually! It is definitely a trip of a lifetime, and whether you experience it firsthand, or through my own website, I’m sure you will become just as passionate as I always have been!
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