Haramaki (armour)

This article is about the armor component. For the clothing item, see Haramaki (clothing).

A haramaki cuirass, made of iron lamellar with leather lacing, 15th–16th century

Haramaki (腹巻, belly wrap) is a type of chest armour (dō) worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan and their retainers.

Description

Antique Edo period Japanese (samurai) 4 hinge 5 plate (go-mai) dou or dō that is opens in the back (haramaki)

Haramaki were originally constructed with the same materials as the ō-yoroi but designed for foot soldiers to use as opposed to the ō-yoroi which was for mounted warfare.[1] Haramaki refers to any Japanese armour which is put on from the front and then fastened in the back with cords. Other types of dō open from the side (ni-mai dō, dō-maru, maru-dō) instead of opening from the back as the haramaki does.

Modern haramaki are thick cloth undergarments worn around the belly to increase body heat retention during the winter.

See also

• Japanese armour

References

1. Samurai, warfare and the state in early medieval Japan (Google eBook), Karl Friday, Psychology Press, 2004 P.94

External links

• Traditional Haramaki photographs
• Anthony Bryant's web site about construction and history of Japanese armor