Database: Japanese Women in Society

In feudal Japan, a woman's situation was extremely variable. Importantly, it depended on whether she did, or did not, belong to the high class. For the popular classes, during village assemblies, the widows from the heads of families attended the debates, spoke, and give [sic] their opinions. In some woman [sic] created artisan guilds, husbands were even kept away from decision making. This was particularly true for pearl divers. With respect to the wives of merchants or artisans, they were generally in charge of financial matters, which led the Portuguese missionary Luís Fróis to assert, Japanese women are the "usurers of their husbands."

In the 16th century, Japanese women could move freely without an escort, unlike women in numerous other countries. Women also knew how to read and write, but it was a much less common skill for women who came from a modest background. In fact, some women even left their homes in broad daylight to conduct business. Furthermore, all women worked, even those of the higher class. For example, the ladies of the shōgun's court, or other great lords, supervised service inside the residences, and were often responsible for drafting official documents concerning the family's property.

Yet, in some cases women were perceived as "impure" because they were suspected of defiling blood. As a result, some places were forbidden, such as ascetic places, sacred mountains, and even boats (although they were sometimes accepted as passengers). Conversely, women were highly sacred in Buddhism, as they could give birth to a child.