Feudal Japan Shields

Samurai themselves for the exact same reasons had no need to use shields.

Feudal japan shields. The japanese like in europe placed the shield on the body. We are proud to offer you authentic japanese apparel as well as a number of modern garments with oriental style. Ashigaru 足軽 light of foot were infantry employed by the samurai class of feudal japan the first known reference to ashigaru was in the 14th century but it was during the ashikaga shogunate muromachi period that the use of ashigaru became prevalent by various warring factions. While i m not sure i agree with that i am unable to evaluate that assertion.

Lastly the form of warfare pursued in the sengoku jidai precluded the use of personal shields. And then when we address your point on the prevalence of bowmen and later matchlockmen the same type of shields 6 were used for both as cover from fire. Tate tedate 盾 手盾 japanese shields a samurai carrying a tate type of shield converted into a tedate and a nagamaki 石山寺縁起絵巻 13th century japanese shields are a really interesting topic to study and an highly misunderstood one especially inside the pop culture. The japanese cuirass evolved into the more familiar style of body armour worn by the samurai known as the dou or dō with the use of leather straps nerigawa and lacquer for weatherproofing.

Japanese martial arts strategy etc tend to strongly emphasize attack over defense. Why didn t infantrymen in feudal japan use shields. For most of medieval japan the standard battlefield weapon for foot soldiers ashigaru was a long spear a two handed spear. Leather and or iron scales were also used to construct samurai armours with leather and eventually silk lace used to connect the individual scales kozane of these cuirasses.

Japanese clothing comes in designs as beautiful and complex as any of their other artworks. Some argue that shield use was obsolete by the edo period because they were clumsy and because japan lacked hellenistic influences. The freestanding tate was used to protect archers but aside from this shields don t seem to be used at all. No hands or arms for a shield.

A samurai on horseback wearing ō yoroi 大鎧 in the beginning soldiers wore their shields so they had two hands to do other stuff like firing arrows using other two handed cqc weapons. The form of pike and shot warfare pursed by the japanese had very little use for troops with sword and shield. In the japanese attire category you will find pieces for men and women ranging from elegant kimono to samurai clothing.