London, UK. 5th February, 2026 – British-Japanese historical author and cultural commentator
Sumiko Nakano has issued a statement addressing public discussion following the launch of a major British Museum exhibition exploring more than one thousand years of samurai history.
The exhibition, which opened to the public this month, examines the historical development of samurai society, including the evolution of the warrior class into a hereditary social and administrative elite during Japan’s Edo period (1603–1868).
While the exhibition presents academically grounded research into the broader social structure surrounding samurai culture, recent headlines appearing across a range of UK and international news outlets have sparked widespread debate after suggesting that “half of Japan’s samurai were women.”
Nakano states that the exhibition itself provides important historical context, but she cautions that some media interpretations risk oversimplifying distinctions between samurai as a hereditary social class and samurai as formally recognised military and administrative retainers.
“The exhibition highlights the complexity of samurai society and the many roles that existed within it,” Nakano explains. “Women played essential and influential roles within samurai households and elite class structures. However, historical documentation shows that formal samurai service roles were defined by legal, military, and administrative duties that were predominantly carried out by male retainers.”
During the Edo period, the samurai class gradually transitioned from battlefield warfare to governance, bureaucracy, cultural leadership, and social administration. Within these elite households, women were responsible for estate management, financial oversight, education, clan continuity, and preservation of social alliances.
Historical records also document cases where women trained in martial disciplines, particularly for defensive purposes. In certain exceptional circumstances, including castle sieges and periods of political collapse, some women took part in combat roles. Nakano notes that these instances occurred as situational responses rather than formal structural inclusion within samurai military rank systems.
“These women played a vital role in sustaining the social and political stability of samurai households,” Nakano states. “Their influence extended across economic, cultural, and strategic domains, and their contributions remain an important part of Japan’s historical legacy.”
Nakano emphasises that the public attention generated by the British Museum exhibition presents an opportunity to deepen understanding of samurai history rather than simplify it.
“Major exhibitions like this encourage valuable public interest in historical subjects,” she says. “They also remind audiences that samurai society included administrators, families, scholars, artists, and political networks alongside warriors. Preserving that full historical context is essential.”
Nakano encourages readers and museum audiences to explore historical exhibitions and scholarly research in greater depth when encountering widely circulated historical claims.
“Public engagement with history is strongest when supported by context and nuance,” she adds. “The story of samurai society is already rich, complex, and culturally significant. It deserves to be understood in its full historical depth.”
ENDS
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Author Responds to Public Debate Following Launch of Major Samurai Exhibition at the British Museum
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While the exhibition presents academically grounded research into the broader social structure surrounding samurai culture, recent headlines appearing across a range of UK and international news outlets have sparked widespread debate after suggesting that “half of Japan’s samurai were women.”
ENDS
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