As a woman in feudal Japan meant you had less privileges than your male counterpart. Women in feudal Japan could still become samurai's like men, although their roles were slightly different. read more
In feudal Japan, women were generally seen less important than men. This meant there were not as many women as men in higher social classes. Furthermore, the degree of freedom women in feudal Japan had was typically low. read more
Samurai women. Japan under samurai rule was male-dominated. Before this, there were a small number of female rulers and some women were allowed to inherit property. From the time of the civil wars fought in the Heian Period (794-1185), it was thought that a man should be at the head of the family to protect the house and land. read more
Some observations made by Luís Fróis, a Jesuit missionary in Feudal Japan (specifically, the Sengoku era, which preceded the Edo period): In Europe, the greatest honor and value of an unmarried woman lies in her virtue. Japanese women do not value virginity, and its lack thereof in no way diminishes her honor or is an obstacle to marriage. read more