Tsuruhime

Tsuruhime (1526 – 1543) was the daughter of Oohouri Yasumochi, a head priest of Oyamazumi Shrine in Iyo Province. The island was under threat from the growing power of Oouchi Yoshitaka from Yamaguchi on the mainland of Honshu, and fighting took place between the Oouchi and the Kounou on Shikoku, under whose jurisdiction the shrine fell. Tsuruhime's two elder brothers were killed in one such conflict, and when Tsuruhime was 16 years old her father died of illness, so she inherited the position of chief priest. She had been trained since childhood in the martial arts, and when the Oouchi made further moves against Oomishima she took charge of the military resistance. She led an army into battle and drove the Oouchi samurai back into the open sea when they raided Oomishima in 1541.

Four months later the invaders returned, and while an Oouchi general was being entertained on his flagship he came under attack from Tsuruhime in a raid. At first he mocked her presumption, but Tsuruhime cut him down. This was followed by a deluge of horokubiya (spherical exploding bombs) from Tsuruhime's allies, which drove the Oouchi fleet away. Two years later, at the age of 18, she was again in action against an attack by the Oouchi, but when her fiance was killed in action she committed suicide by drowning.