Japanese Armor
- 2016年12月11日
- 読了時間: 5分
Armors in Japan after Medieval ages are quite different from those in China or Europe.
Today, different types of Japanese armor from various periods will be introduced.
300~900 A.D
"Tanko"
This armor is designed to protect only upper body. Depending on time period, it was made and devleoped by wood, leather, and metal.
900~1350 A.D.
"Ooyoroi"
This armor was used by high rank mounted warriors.
It was made by assembling a few components.
The armor had high protection with some level of freedom in moving.
Materials used were iron, brass, gold, cowhide, deerskin, lacquer, silk, straps, cloth, dye, and etc. Production process took for two years.
Cowhide used in the armor had to be leathers from cow’s back which provided very hard protection enough to prevent penetration of arrow shots.
About eight cows had to be consumed for one set of armor.
When deerskin is used, about eight large-sized deer had to be used. In today’s price, it is estimated to be 200,000 to 300,000 us dollar.
AD 1350 to 1450 AD
"Haramaki"
Battles in mountain terrain became more frequent. Armors were made to be light-weighted for easier moving.
AD 1450 to 1700 AD
"Tosei Gusoku"
Armors then were too luxurious for mass production.
Tosei Gusoku was designed to accommodate battles strategies involving group battles and usage of matchlocks.
To deflect bullets from matchlocks, a lot of curves and slopes were put in.
Performance was not the only thing that developed as various styles with much decoration were used.
As the scale of fights became larger, decorations became necessary.
Such decorations were used to distinguish allies and enemies. Also, it was used to describe individuals.
There were modified imported European armors that were called Nanbando.
AD 1700 to 1850 AD
"Kazari Katchyu"
This was period of peace.
The collapse of Buke (martial house – samurai) led the armors to be for display rather than practical.
Since this is not for battle usage, both protection and mobility were poor.
How to Wear Japanese Armor
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Here are some pictures of armors that really existed.
Armor of Masamune Date
Masamune Date 伊達政宗（だて まさむね）
Due to smallpox suffered from infancy, he lost his right eye. It is said that if he was born little bit earlier, he could have unified Japan.
He liked to cook. He even developed a new type of miso. The name of the miso is Sendai miso. He was a poor drinker. This armor became a model of the Darth Vader.
Armor of Oda Nobunaga
Oda Nobunaga 織田信長（おだ のぶなが）
Daimyo who destroyed the Muromachi shogunate and established the Oda regime, a powerful central government. Because he ruled government by fear, he was betrayed and died.
Daimyo who was excellent in economic policy. This armor was made by remodeling the European armor.
Armor of Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Toyotomi Hideyoshi 豊臣秀吉（とよとみ ひでよし）
After Oda Nobunaga died, he took control of the government and unified Japan. The first person ever to became Daimyo from the poor.
Because the appearance looked like a monkey, Oda Nobunaga was nicknamed him as a monkey. The armor represents the leaf of Iris lactea and the sunlight.
Armor of Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu 徳川家康（とくがわ いえやす）
Tokugawa Ieyasu ended the Sengoku period and became the first Shogun of the Edo Shogunate government.
This armor was used at the battle of Sekigahara.
Armor of Uesugi Kenshin
Kenshin Uesugi 上杉謙信（うえすぎ けんしん）
His was called by Military God, Echigo's Tiger,
Echigo's dragon. He was the strongest Daimyo in Sengoku period.
He believed that he was a reincarnation form of Bishamonten(The God of War).
The armor represents Bishamonten, the God of War.
Armor of Takeda Shingen
Shingen Takeda 武田信玄（たけだ しんげん）
He had the best cavalry army corps in the Sengoku Period.
He was also followed by an excellent vassal group.
He was known as a skilful worrior. He also loved reading the art of warfare of Sonshi.
Armor of Mori Motonari
Mori Motonari 毛利元就（もうり もとなり)
While being born as the second son of the weakest land lord, he expanded his land by making full use of the conspiracy tectics.
He unified Chugoku region. He could write beautiful letters.
Armor of Honda Tadakatsu
Tadakatsu Honda 本多忠勝（ほんだただかつ）
The strongest warrior in the vassals of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
He was always in the front line in the battle. But it is said that he was never injured, not even a scratch.
In order to mourn the opponent's warrior, he always carried a large Buddhist rosary on his shoulder.
The armor represents Japanese deer.
Armor of Sanada Yukimura
Sanada Yukimura 真田幸村（さなだ ゆきむら）
Sanada attacked the main camp of Tokugawa in Osaka.
His father was a acquaintance in Sengoku period.
His father is famous for repeatedly betraying people around him.
The Sanada family loves red color.
Armor of Yoshishige Satake
Yoshishige Satake 佐竹義重（さたけ よししげ）
He fought againt Hojo family for the land of Kanto area.
Tokugawa Ieyasu disliked him, and he was sent to the remote area of the north (Akita Prefecture).
Armor represents hairy caterpillar.
Samurai liked caterpillars because they never go backward(retreat).
Armor of Muneshige Tachibana
Muneshige Tachibana 立花宗茂（たちばな・むねしげ）
His father and father-in-law are famous warlord in Sengoku Period.
He was talented in both literary and military arts.
His marriage life was not successful.
Him and his wife seperated and they had no children.
Because there was no child, there are no direct descendants exist.
Armor of Ujisato Gamo
Ujisato Gamo 蒲生 氏郷（がもう うじさと）
Oda Nobunaga's son-in-law.
On the battlefield, he was a brave warlord who fought in the front of the battle line.
He also had good knowledge of the tea ceremony and Japanese traditional songs.
Armor of Toshiie Maeda
Toshiie Maeda 前田 利家（まえだ としいえ）
A freind of Hideyoshi Toyotomi. Tokugawa and Oda highly evaluated Maeda as a warrior.
Armor of Ii Naomasa
Ii Naomasa 井伊 直政（いい なおまさ）
The captain of the Tokugawa family. He was famous for diplomacy and valor.
He was really brave in the battle but he was also short-tempered.
He had beautiful face and Ieyasu Tokugawa almost fell in love with him.
Naomasa respected Masakage Yamagata, and after the destruction of the Takeda family, he changeed the color of the armor to red, which is the same color as Masakage Yamagata. Yamagata was famous warrior of the Takeda family.
Armor of Kanetsugu Naoe
Kanetsugu Naoe 直江 兼続（なおえ かねつぐ）
The warrior of the Uesugi family. He fought against Tokugawa family.
Besides being excellent in civil administration, he was also good in battle.
He loved to read books. On his helmet, there is a Kanji letter which looks like "love". But actually, it reapresent War God.
Armor of Kiyomasa Kato
Kiyomasa Kato加藤 清正（かとう きよまさ）
A distant relative of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He was good at construting castles.
He continues to be respected in Kumamoto Prefecture.
It is said that he brought celery to Japan.
Armor of Masanori Fukushima
Masanori Fukushima 福島 正則（ふくしま まさのり）
Same as Kiyomasa Kato, Masanori Fukushima was a relative to Hideyoshi Toyotomi. He had administrative skills.
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