Akai Teruko 赤井輝子 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Lord of Ushiku (Yura clan head) | |
| In office 1591 | |
| Succeeded by | Yura Kunishige |
| Personal details | |
| Spouse | Yura Shigeru |
| Children | Yura Kinishige Nagao Akinaga |
| Parent |
|
| Relatives | Kaihime (granddaughter) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Akai clan Later Hōjō clan Toyotomi clan |
| Unit | Yura clan |
| Battles/wars | Siege of Kanayama castle Siege of Odawara (1590) Siege of Matsuida castle |
Akai Teruko (赤井輝子, November 6, 1514 – December 17, 1594) or Myoin-ni (妙印尼) was a late-Sengoku period Onna-musha warrior. Teruko was a woman trained in ko-naginata, fought in many battles when younger and commanded three thousand soldiers in Kanayama castle at 70 years old.[1] She was a daughter of Akai Terumitsu, spouse of Yura Shigeru, a retainer of the Hōjō clan, and grandmother of Kaihime.[2]
In contrast to her famous granddaughter, Kaihime, who was known as "The most beautiful woman in east Japan" (東国無双の美人), Teruko was known as ''The strongest woman in the Warring States Period'' (戦国時代最強の女丈夫).[3]