yoroi - armour

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yoroi　鎧 armour, armor of a samurai
gusoku 具足 armour
..... kogusoku 小具足　small pieces of armour equipment (like facemask, forearm sleeves, thigh guards, shin guards, bear-fur boots
kachuu 甲冑 katchu, armor and helmet


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The ō-yoroi, oo-yoroi (大鎧) is a prominent example of early Japanese armor worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan. The term ō-yoroi means "great armor."


by Yoshitoshi

Ō-yoroi first started to appear in the 10th century during the middle and late Heian period, and came into widespread use in the Genpei War around the 12th century when the call for armor was at its peak. Significant aspects of this armor were designed for cavalry archers. The box shaped ō-yoroi was heavy and did not allow as much movement or flexibility as its counterpart the dō-maru, so the armor fell out of favor in the fifteenth century when samurai shifted to mostly infantry tactics.

Components
The basic components of the ō-yoroi and other samurai armor are known collectively as the “hei-no-rokugu” or simply “rokugu　六具,” which means six articles of arms.
The six major components are the dō　胴 (chest armour), kabuto (helmet), mengu　面具 (facial armour), kote　籠手 (armoured sleeves), sune-ate　脛当 (shin armour), and the hai-date 脛楯 (thigh armour).
The ō-yoroi combines plate and scales (kozane) laced together (lamellar). One specific advance over earlier armors is that the kozane of ō-yoroi are first laced together and then covered with lacquer, which enhances resistance to corrosion. The dō of the ō-yoroi is unique from later models because it is composed of two separate parts instead of one piece with an opening on the side or back of the dō to allow the samurai to put on the armor.

Clan Identification
The color, design, and material of the lacing identified the clan of the warrior. The clans were also identified by the designs painted on the armor. Many of the clans used symbols as a crest, such as cherry blossoms or depictions of deities. The color and design of lacing the plates together, odoshi, was a system used for identification on the field. There were many different color combinations that identified warriors from a distance.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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Onoda Teruhiko 小野田光彦 armor maker, Showa period
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !


yoroishi, yoroi shi 鎧師 craftsman producing armour
- - - - - gusokushi, gusoku shi 具足師
- - - - - katchuushi 甲冑師

There are different schools in Nara, Kishu (Wakayama), Kyoto and other regions.

kabutoshi, kabuto shi　兜師 helmet maker


. Edo Katchu 江戸甲冑 Warrior Armor from Edo .
and armor decorations with Fudo Myo-o 不動明王

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Samurai families used to decorate a yoroi in the tokonoma alcove  and place the mochi in front of them.



. yoroi mochi 鎧餅 "armor rice cake" .
a New Year decoration
gusoku mochi　具足餅 armor-plate rice cake

Gusokubiraki, gusoku biraki 具足開 "opening the armour"
gusoku kagamimochi 具足鏡餅
gusoku kagami wari 具足鏡割
gusoku iwai 具足祝 celebrating armour
busoku kagamibiraki 武具鏡開

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Illustration of Mochi Dividing Ceremony 具足祝 Gusokuiwai

Kagami-biraki refers to the New Year’s tradition of dividing up offered mochi and eating it.
The Edo Shogunate called this event Gusokuiwai (celebration of armors)
and offered rice cakes called gusoku mochi to a full suit of armor (gusoku).
Every year on January 11, the alcove of the Kuro Shoin drawing room
would be decorated with the shida gusoku 歯朶（しだ）具足 "Fern Armor" worn by Tokugawa Ieyasu,
the founder and the first Shōgun of the Edo Shogunate, swords, and other battle regalia,
to which the gusoku mochi would be then offered.
Since Ieyasu wore this armor in victorious battle, it was an extremely auspicious item for the Tokugawa household.
After eating his celebratory meal, the Shōgun would grant an audience to the 譜代大名 Fudai Daimyō
(those who served the Tokugawa household before it seized power)
and government officials then give them sake and mochi.
. source - Tokyo Metropolitan Library .

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ise-ebi, ise ebi いせえび (伊勢海老／伊勢蝦) lobster, spiny lobster from Ise
The samurai of Kamakura saw an auspicious connection with their armour (yoroi) and the back shell of the lobster.

. Seafood for Autumn .

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Tango no sekku 端午の節句 "Boy's Festival"
a traditional Japanese event observed on May 5th as a celebration for boys' talisman and health. Families including boys observe it, displaying yoroi kabuto (an armor), gogatsu ningyoo (dolls for the Boys' Festival), or koinobori (carp-shaped streamers). Although this tradition has continued to this day, after World War May 5th started to be called "children's day". It is observed as a holiday recognizing children's (boys and girls) happiness.

. WKD : Seasonal festival in the fifth lunar month .



source : matsugan.co.jp/may_doll

Matsuyama no yoroi ningyoo 松山の 鎧人形 dolls wearing armour, made in Matsuyama

. musha ningyoo 武者人形 Samurai Dolls .
kabuto ningyoo かぶと人形 "helmet decorations" dolls
ayame ningyoo あやめ人形 iris dolls
kabuto 兜 samurai helmet

under construction
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- - - - - H A I K U - - - - -


薫風やもよぎ匂ひの鎧ぬぐ
kunpuu ya moyogi nioi no yoroi nugu

fragrant breeze -
I take off my armour
smelling of leek

. moyogi, moegi 萌葱 a kind of leek .

. WKD : kunpuu　薫風、kaze kaoru　風薫 scented breeze .
kigo for summer

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借具足我になじまぬ寒さ哉
kari yoroi ware ni najimaru samusa kana

this coldness
like a borrowed armour
not fit for my body
Tr. Gabi Greve

The cut marker KANA is at the end of line 3. I reversed the word order for more natural English.

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夕雲雀鎧の袖をかざしかな
yuuhibari yoroi no sode o kazashi kana

a skylark in the evening
adds a decoration to the sleeve
of the armour plate . . .

The cut marker KANA is at the end of line 3.

. Yosa Buson 与謝蕪村 in Edo .

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山の桜にひしと鎧ひけり
尾崎紅葉

枯葉を鎧う女泉を抱き眠る
八木三日女

山車統べて鎧皇后立ち給ふ
山口誓子

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. Japanese Architecture - cultural keywords used in haiku .

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