The lady of the eighth ward: political, economic, and military power of nyoin during the twelfth century, Japan

UnrestrictedAs interest in the study of women and gender in both North America and Asia has grown, scholars of Japan have also increased their knowledge of women's roles and social contributions. Unfortunately, studies of Japanese women have concentrated primarily on the modern period to the present, and have failed to address many issues related to women in the pre-modern era. The objective of this paper is to examine the power of nyoin (a retired queen consort) by focusing on Hachijô-in, who wielded significant political, economic, and military power during the 12th century. She was a successor of the main royal line, provided strong legitimacy to male heirs, inherited many royal estates, and expanded them during a period of domestic warfare. The case of Hachijô-in demonstrates that women of pre-modern Japan are important historical figures worthy of further investigation. Nonetheless, the Japanese public education system does not present her as a significant figure, and there is little research about her available to Western readers