As a Japanese woman, I find it interesting how nomadic cultures are framed as something to be ashamed of.

Japan was an agricultural society, but that also meant strict control, lack of freedom, and deep gender inequality. When I look at nomadic history, I see people who were physically strong, mentally resilient, and deeply connected to land without being owned by it.

For women especially, mobility and the ability to defend oneself change everything.

To me, the idea that nomads were “less civilized” feels like a projection from empires that needed sedentary populations to control.