Page 61 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide: Japan

THE HIST OR Y OF JAP AN  59

Samurai Battledress
The samurai developed remarkably ornate and
colorful armor from the 9th century on. The
earliest style, oyoroi, was designed for archers on
horseback. In the
Muromachi period it was
superseded by lighter
armor, domaru, worn
Steel swords were first forged in Japan in the 8th by foot soldiers, and
century. The samurai wore pairs of swords, long later a style called tosei
and short, from 1600. They were banned after gusoku, shown here,
the Meiji Restoration of 1868. which helped protect
against firearms.
Every warrior took a musket,
spear, or bow into battle, as
well as a sword. Kabuto (helmet)
Mempo (face defense)

Sode (shoulder defense)
Do (cuirass)
Kote (arm defense)

Kusazuri (upper thigh
defense)
Haidate (lower
thigh defense)

Suneate (shin guard)

Ronin (“floating men”) were
samurai without allegience to
Long vertical Heads were particular masters. In the 47 Ronin
banners (nobori) collected in the
were hung on poles thousands and Incident of 1703, por trayed in the
to identify different set by roadsides. Kabuki play Chushingura, a group of
military families and ronin avenged the killing of their
groups of warriors. lord, then were ordered to commit
suicide by the shogunate (see p107).

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