If Rise of the Ronin has made one thing clear to us, it's that Team Ninja never leaves the audience indifferent. The Japanese developer always delivers titles with a delicious dose of action, but ends up choking on different circumstances that prevent its projects from giving their all. However, the recent PS5 exclusive can boast of one detail.
And the work has an overwhelming amount of historical references, which allows us to enjoy a very realistic version of Bakumatsu. This period in Japan places us during the last years of leadership of the Tokugawa shogunate, so the story takes place in Yokohama, Edo and Kyoto in the mid-19th century. Western and Asian cultures merged through a constant power struggle and that dichotomy can be felt in the multiple characters with whom to establish relationships.
Many of them are based on people who really existed during those years and, among all of them, Nakazawa Koto stands out. We are talking about a samurai who is at the Edo Military Academy, one of the most populated cities and which serves as headquarters for the shogunate itself. The purpose of women is to be part of the Roshigumi, an elite swordsman corpss which serves as a security team for Yoshinobu Tokugawa, who is heading towards Kyoto.
As with the dozens of secondary schools that populate Rise of the Ronin, Koto can establish a bond of friendship with the protagonist, although there is a big difference compared to the rest of the women. And the swordswoman does not consent to a love relationship with her, without further explanation, and to discover the truth it is necessary to take a look at the life of the authentic Nakazawa Koto.
![Rise of the Ronin](https://i.blogs.es/dfc1c6/fzy5hhnaqaa9yaj/450_1000.webp)
Born in 1839, Koto was born in the province of Kozuke and trained from a very early age in the mastery of steel and martial arts. She managed to become part of the Roshigumi after dressing as a man and take advantage of the fact that he was 1.70 m talla considerable height for a woman of those times in Japan. Thanks to her skill with the sword, she managed to defend Kyoto under the gaze of Kyokawa Hachiro.
She was later involved in the difficult political conditions that the nation was experiencing, as there was a deep crisis between the empire and the Tokugawa shogunate. Koto participated in the Boshin War and defended the shogunate from attacks by the Satsuma and Ogi clans, being recognized for great feats on the battlefield. Although in Rise of the Ronin We can see her using a huge sword, she was integrated as an onna-musha, a body of warriors of feudal Japan.
![Rise of the Ronin](https://i.blogs.es/a38c34/fzy5hcyucaa8acq/450_1000.webp)
![Rise of the Ronin](https://i.blogs.es/a38c34/fzy5hcyucaa8acq/450_1000.webp)
These soldiers stood out for their use of the naginata, a much more versatile weapon, as well as ranged attacks that did not involve direct confrontation. After that, the Meiji Restoration began and Koto returned to her hometown in 1874 at the age of 30. This is when we can understand why in the video game we cannot maintain a romantic relationship with her, since historical records speak about her being a woman. She remained single and celibate all her life.
She was very beautiful, so numerous men tried to court her and, although there is a story about her getting married, legend suggests that with each proposal, she replied that “Don't marry someone weaker than you. If you want something, defeat him.” Therefore, she would only accept a marriage if she was defeated in a sword duel, which never happened. A story about her life suggests that “When Koto dresses like a man, many women fall in love with her. When Koto dresses as a woman, many men fall in love with her.“.
![Rise of the Ronin](https://i.blogs.es/286546/fzy5hnausaapqjk/450_1000.webp)
![Rise of the Ronin](https://i.blogs.es/286546/fzy5hnausaapqjk/450_1000.webp)
He died at the age of 88, in 1927, in the same city of Tone where he was born and it is said that He enjoyed nature, poetry and a few good drinks of alcohol until his death. Koto Nakazawa was such a relevant figure for Japan that a film was even released last year called Koto, the Samurai Woman, centered around her. In addition, she has also been remembered in a 2017 film, as well as at different events throughout the nation. Of course, you had to have the stomach to show your feelings to the swordswoman.
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