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In Japan, the armor was worn as early as the 4th century by foot soldiers. This was called tanko, and was made as a simple iron breastplate. It wasn’t until the Heian period that the armor evolved into what then became known as do or dou. There were different types […]

The tambo (短棒) is a short staff, normally less than 1 meter in length. The tambo is a short staff, normally less than 1 meter in length. It can be used as a walking stick, support for the forearm when climbing, or as a weapon. This simple weapon is commonly […]

There were 2 types of firearms that samurai’s in japan became most commonly associated with, these were cannons, and tanegashima (Japanese matchlock). Cannon’s were used to protect castle walls from intruders and served as a means of protection for castles as well as ships. They were transported during military battles, […]

There were 2 types of pole weapons to dominate samurai use in Japan. These were the yari (槍), and the naginata (なぎなた, 薙刀). The yari came in a huge number of varieties, with each having different blade designs and purposes. The shafts also came in different varieties. Although yari were […]

The yumi (弓) was a type of longbow that was used by the samurai for ceremonial, hunting, and sport events, but also extensively during the feudal periods. There were 2 types of yumi. The regular size was called daikyū (大弓), and the shorter sized one was hankyū (半弓). Introduction: What […]

It is obvious to make the connection with samurai and samurai swords, but the evolution of the Japanese sword, and its history is in-depth with many different stages of development before the modern method of making the well-known katana blade. Japanese swords began their introduction into Japan around the Nara period. […]