Today I would like to talk a little about Japanese armor because I saw the cool armor when I went to Hikone Castle in Shiga Prefecture.
It is an armor that is worn during battle to protect the body.
In general, it consists of a helmet called “KABUTO” worn on the head, an armor called “YOROI” worn on the body, and accessories called “KOGUSOKU”.
Armor is a comprehensive craft that can be said to be the culmination of craft techniques such as metalwork, lacquering, leather, braid, and dyeing and weaving. It has one aspect of valuable materials that are indispensable for understanding the culture, customs, ideas, historical background of the time when this was made, as well as the technique and technical levels and favorability.
Well, this time, the reason why I thought I’d write about armor is that Ii’s Akazonae armor, which was displayed in Hikone Castle, looked so cool and astringent, so I wanted show it to everyone.
The armor of the warlords during the Senguku period was different, and I remembered it on TV one day that it was made with particular care, so I searched it in various ways.
Fashion designer ,Mr. Kansai Yamamoto who already passed away, said as follows.
“Originally, Japanese people usually prefer vary beautiful things, and they prefer to stand out. People called it “Kabuku”, and then the word, “KABUKI” was created. If you look at Azuchi Momoyama culture, it’s that level.
The fashion sense of the Sengoku warlords is full of surprises even from world-class designers.
The place where the feelings of the military commanders are condensed, that is the decoration of the helmet called “Tatemono”.
It is said that there are passionate spirits of each Sengoku warrior in the original design.
his time I would like to talk about the jinbaori worn on the armor.
Jinhaori is for preventing rain and wind and coldness on the battlefield.
Like the helmet, “Kabuto”, it had a unique color and design that appeals to its success on the battlefield.
Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and other military commanders competed with merchants and missionaries to seek out Namban fabrics, and they wore unusually designed costumes.
The jinbaori of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the world-renowned man who built the gorgeous Momoyama culture, was the “Jinbaori with birds and beasts patters like tapestry”.
He also used the finest Persian carpet generously.
Various animals such as lions and peacocks, which Japanese people at that time had never seen, were embroidered in vivid colors, which was the ultimate beauty of Nanban.
The fashionable battles of warlords may have made the Sengoku period even more spectacular.
This time, the person who cooperated with the photo is TOZANDO in the Seigoin Temple in Kyoto City.
Tozando Co. Ltd., which is the largest store specializing in armor and has its head office in Nishijin, Kyoto, opened in 2007 in Okazaki, Kyoto as a store specializing in armor such as swords and armor.
In the first place, armor such as Japanese swords and armor is a clear expression of the soul of a samurai, and not only those who practice martial arts, but also Japanese people will strangely inspire a feeling of awe in such things.
So, it was this Higashiyamado Seigoin store that developed the soul of a samurai further from martial arts and eventually created the concept of the soul of Japan.
This is an armor gallery on the second floor, so it is a recommendable place when you visit around there.