'The female samurai warrior Hangaku'

Hangaku, one of the few women in Japanese history celebrated as a military commander, is shown here in full warrior regalia—armor laced and bow drawn, a figure of defiant power. She served under the Jōkyū uprising of 1221 and became legendary for her fierce resistance before her capture. Yoshitoshi's depiction belongs to his tradition of strong female warriors, rendered with the same heroic intensity he brought to male subjects, her stance communicating both skill and indomitable resolve.