Many were the subjects of grievances of the Zen nuns at the dawn of the 20th century. According to the regulations of the Soto tradition, women had to wear only the black robe of the novices; they had no access to any teaching, even lay or monastic; they could neither lead a temple nor participate in decision-making concerning their tradition; and their training as nuns was much longer than that of their male counterparts, sometimes three years longer.

One prejudice presented to us as historical fact is the idea that women were not involved in the highest levels of Buddhism and the development of Zen in Japan. Historical sources show us this to be wrong.