{{Short description|16th-century Japanese poet and noblewoman}} {{Family name hatnote|Mochizuki|lang=Japanese}}{{Infobox military person | name = Mochizuki Chiyome<br/>望月 千代女 | image = | caption = | birth_date = 16th century | death_date = Unknown date | allegiance = 15px Takeda clan | commands = Allegedly the leader of female ninjas (Kunoichi) of the Takeda clan | spouse = Mochizuki Moritoki }}
'''Mochizuki Chiyome''' (望月 千代女), also known as '''Mochizuki Chiyojo''' (望月 千代女) or '''Mochizuki Chiyo''' (望月 千代),<ref name="black">{{cite web|url=http://metropolis.co.jp/features/feature/men-and-women-in-black/ |title=News & Features | Men (And Women) in Black |date=22 July 2010 |publisher=Metropolis.co.jp |access-date=2015-06-21}}</ref> is said to have been a 16th-century Japanese poet and noblewoman.
Fictional accounts presented her as creating a group of kunoichi in service of the Takeda clan.<ref>Thomas A. Green, ''Martial Arts of the World'' (2001), p. 671.</ref><ref>吉丸雄哉（三重大学人文学部准教授） (2017年4月). “望月千代女伝の虚妄”. In 吉丸雄哉、山田雄司 編. 忍者の誕生. 勉誠出版. {{ISBN|978-4-585-22151-7}}. p. 282</ref> Her existence has been questioned by modern historians.<ref name=ChiyomeDebunk />
==Historicity== It has been alleged that Mochizuki's name first appeared in the 1971 book ''Investigation of Japanese History'' (考証日本史) by non-academic Shisei Inagaki (稲垣史生).<ref name=ChiyomeDebunk>{{Cite book|title=Ninja no tanjō|date=2017|others=Katsuya Yoshimaru, Yūji Yamada, 吉丸雄哉, 山田雄司|isbn=978-4-585-22151-7|edition=Shohan|location=Tōkyō|oclc=982054805}}</ref> Inagaki:
# Describes the details of the Fourth Battle of Kawanakajima. # Claims that Moritoki Mochizuki was a husband of Chiyome and that he died at this battle. # Presents a historical written permission to Chiyome issued by Shingen and claims that, due to this permission, the "miko village" emerged. # Claims that the ''miko'' of the village became spies. # Claims that Chiyome then became a ninja.
However, Katsuya Yoshimaru (吉丸雄哉), an associate professor of Mie University who studies Japanese Edo period literature and the ninja, claims that Chiyome did not actually exist and lists the allegedly erroneous points of Inagaki's book:<ref name=ChiyomeDebunk /> # There is no historical document describing the details of this battle. # Moritoki did not die in this battle. (that is, there is no mention of a Mochizuki Moritoki anywhere, let alone among the slain at that battle) # This written permission is not extant. Generally speaking, most of such kind of written permissions are forged ones. # The claim of spy activities of the miko is groundless; it is based only on guess of Inagaki. (note, such a claim is believable, if impossible to prove, as travelling miko would indeed have made splendid informants) # This is groundless as well. Although Inagaki refers ''History of Japanese Miko'' (日本巫女史), 1930, written by Taro Nakayama (中山太郎), this book says nothing about ninja and all mentions first appear in Inagaki's book.
Mochizuki's name became popular after a two-page article about her was published in a 1991 special issue of the magazine ''History Reader'' (歴史読本) titled ''Extraordinary Special Issue: All the Definitive Types of Ninja'' (臨時増刊号『決定版「忍者」の全て』). This article said that she was an upper ninja (上忍); according to Yoshimaru, historically there was no such rank in a ninja hierarchy.<ref name=ChiyomeDebunk />
==In popular culture== Mochizuki is featured in many video games, some of which include ''Nobunaga's Ambition: Souzou'' (DLC),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamecity.ne.jp/regist_c/user/souzou/dlc_tieup007.htm |title=『信長の野望・創造』 ユーザーズページ |publisher=Gamecity.ne.jp |access-date=2015-06-25}}</ref> ''Puzzle & Dragons'',<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.puzzledragonx.com/en/monster.asp?n=555 | title=Mochizuki Chiyome | publisher=Puzzle & Dragons | access-date=June 17, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pazudoraya.com/products/detail.php?product_id=886 |title=パズドラ ステッカー 紅焔の舞巫女・望月千代女 - パズドラ屋 | パズル&ドラゴンズ公式グッズショップ |publisher=Pazudoraya.com |date=2012-03-16 |access-date=2015-06-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626151027/http://www.pazudoraya.com/products/detail.php?product_id=886 |archive-date=2015-06-26 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and ''Toukiden: The Age of Demons''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.famitsu.com/news/201401/28047230.html |title=【先出し週刊ファミ通】『討鬼伝』今井麻美さんが演じるミタマ"望月千代女"をゲットせよ！（2014年1月30日発売号） - ファミ通.com |publisher=Famitsu.com |date=2014-01-28 |access-date=2015-06-21}}</ref>
She is mentioned as a trainer of the playable character Kunoichi in ''Samurai Warriors,'' and appears in person in ''Samurai Warriors 2 as'' Shingen's mistress and the master and surrogate mother of Kurenai, the protagonist of ''Red Ninja: End of Honor''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/xboxmanual_Red_Ninja |title=XBOX Manual: Red Ninja : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive |access-date=2015-06-21}}</ref> Mochizuki appears in ''Assassin's Creed: Memories'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://assassins-creed-memories.browsergames.pl/newsy/3084/1/assassins-creed-memories-kod-bonusowy-z-japonska-zabojczynia.html |title=Assassin's Creed Memories: Kod bonusowy z japońską zabójczynią |publisher=Assassins-creed-memories.browsergames.pl |date=2014-09-12 |access-date=2015-06-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150621124628/http://assassins-creed-memories.browsergames.pl/newsy/3084/1/assassins-creed-memories-kod-bonusowy-z-japonska-zabojczynia.html |archive-date=2015-06-21 |url-status=dead }}</ref> where she is recruited by the Templars after Shingen's death and becomes an enemy of Hattori Hanzō, and in ''Onimusha Soul'', in which she works with the evil Genma and appears in several different forms, ages, and art styles.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://members.oni-soul.jp/contents/gotochi/area/yamanashi/ |title=鬼武者Soul ご当地コラボレーション 山梨県専用ページ |publisher=Members.oni-soul.jp |access-date=2015-06-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://ygame-members.oni-soul.jp/sp/information/3266.html |title=ゲーム内イベント | 鬼武者Soul |publisher=Ygame-members.oni-soul.jp |date=2015-03-19 |access-date=2015-06-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://cog-members.oni-soul.jp/sp/information/3139.html |title=ゲーム内イベント | 鬼武者Soul |publisher=Cog-members.oni-soul.jp |date=2015-01-29 |access-date=2015-06-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://game.watch.impress.co.jp/img/gmw/docs/582/054/html/31.jpg.html |title=[拡大画像]ブラウザゲーム「鬼武者Soul」女性武将30名追加の第2弾を実施 |publisher=Game.watch.impress.co.jp |access-date=2015-06-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.onlinegamer.jp/news/201306060012/ |title=鬼武者Soul、固有技を必ず入手できる技継承生贄が実装悪鬼羅刹「望月千代女」も新たに登場 OnlineGamer |date=6 June 2013 |publisher=Onlinegamer.jp |access-date=2015-06-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://m.sfacg.com/c/411265/ |title=鬼武者 Soul HD-女主角设定选择参考-鬼武者 Soul HD小说|鬼武者 Soul HD小说下载|SF轻小说手机版 |publisher=M.sfacg.com |access-date=2015-06-25}}</ref> She is a non-playable character using Ground and Dark type Pokémon in ''Pokémon Conquest'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sanji.bufsiz.jp/pokemon-nobunaga/busho2.html |title=ポケモン＋ノブナガの野望攻略サイト |publisher=Sanji.bufsiz.jp |access-date=2015-06-21}}</ref> and elite versions of generic "Kunoichi" enemies in ''Marvel: Avengers Alliance'' are named "Chiyome". ''Innocent World'' (Japanese version of ''Aura Kingdom'') offered a catgirl version of Chiyome as a player character,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ahgame.com/huanxiangshenyu/23152/ |title=幻想神域望月千代女怎么样 值得培养吗 安游在线 |publisher=Ahgame.com |date=2014-07-22 |access-date=2015-06-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://event.changyou.com/hxsy/201405/cv/sub17.shtml |title=声の恋觉醒二次元-《幻想神域》官方网站 |publisher=Event.changyou.com |access-date=2015-06-25}}</ref> and another game has her in a full cat form.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://windguesta.pixnet.net/blog/post/86781690 |title=信喵之野望 - 兩兵千代女 [人物][望月千代][義姬][大蟾蜍之術] @ 閒言悠靜 : 痞客邦 PIXNET |date=6 January 2013 |publisher=Windguesta.pixnet.net |access-date=2015-06-25}}</ref> In ''Sangoku Taisen'', she is voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro.<ref>{{cite web|author=投稿者 まちゃぴ＆夕凪 時刻 15時35分 大戦よもやま話 |url=http://app.f.m-cocolog.jp/t/typecast/156734/151502/82705715 |title=【戦国大戦】≪天覇への道 全国決勝大会≫の結果と、これからの話。: 覇道に身を捧ぐも人の道 |publisher=App.f.m-cocolog.jp |date=2015-06-06 |access-date=2015-06-25}}</ref> She also appears as an Assassin-class Servant in ''Fate/Grand Order''. In the videogame series Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun, the character Aiko comes from a kunoichi clan run by a "Lady Chiyo".
Yatsuko Tanami played her in the film ''Sanada Yukimura no Bōryaku''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0849108/|title=Yatsuko Tan'ami|publisher=IMDb.com|access-date=2015-06-21}}</ref> She appears as a major character in David Kudler's young-adult historical novel ''Risuko''.
==References== {{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}{{People of the Sengoku period|state=autocollapse}}
Category:16th-century Japanese nobility Category:Japanese ninjutsu practitioners Category:Miko Category:Ninja Category:16th-century Japanese women writers Category:16th-century Japanese poets Category:Women in 16th-century warfare Category:Women of the Sengoku period Category:Female wartime spies Category:Year of birth unknown