Ask the Armouries Japanese Armour

[@christianjavier656]

whyy the hell this channel is so underated????

[@RoyalArmouriesMuseum]

Right!?

[@whisthpo]

Because the 'Honour' of the Warrior died with the introduction of Gunpowder..... The 'Great Equaliser'.

[@bigredjeepyj3436]

Absolutely agreed.

[@OEFvet0311]

No idea, my guy. It's one of my absolute favorites.

[@benjaminm2994]

My thoughts exactly

[@HeyImLucious]

Audio balancing is still something to work on but this is 10x better than the original. Please keep doing this, having experts talk with these stunning visuals is amazing

[@GordonjSmith1]

Fascinating. The aubergine helmet really told a social story.

[@RoyalArmouriesMuseum]

It is certainly a really interesting object. And it would have looked even more amazing in its heyday.

[@foxdavion6865]

well, now I know what inspired the strange designs in Dark Souls, these sorts of weird armour really do exist IRL.

[@takaakiyamada5451]

That's a myth. Samurai during the civil war moved frequently in search of well-paid feudal lords. Just like today's American businessmen. After the civil war ended and Japan was unified and a period of peace arrived, samurai could no longer change their lord. Philosophies such as ``honor'' and ``loyalty to the lord'' became popular in the era of peace. By the way, I'm Japanese.

[@takaakiyamada5451]

All Japanese people are relieved that Western museums and collectors own Japanese cultural heritage. Japanese people respect and trust Westerners as ``educated people who understand the value of culture.''

[@saitaasagao8741]

Enchanté, je suis japonais. Un proverbe japonais dit "Ichifuji ni nitaka san nasuji" (Un Fuji, deux faucons, trois aubergines), chacun d'entre eux étant considéré comme un ordre de bonne chance. Ce casque a peut-être été fabriqué pour porter chance.

[@bunburyodo]

Natasha Bennett, the curator of oriental collections at the Royal Armouries in the UK, which houses thousands of iconic oriental Arms and armours from throughout history. Nice to have you on.

[@voxfiresb]

I went to the armouries in Leeds a few years ago, loved the Japanese section. There’s some beautiful pieces in that collection!

[@mostevil1082]

This is japanese broad spreading shoulder armour, and this is a fluffy war elephant. Covering all angles.

[@moredistractions]

I really enjoyed this a lot. Thanks for sharing!

[@RoyalArmouriesMuseum]

Thanks Scott!

[@TruculentSheep]

22:03: In an age of peace, warriors cosplay as vegetables.

[@KosherPorky]

certified bruh moment

[@jamesrichards9567]

Thanks for the reupload. Much better!

[@RoyalArmouriesMuseum]

Thanks James. My bad!

[@jamesrichards9567]

@@RoyalArmouriesMuseum The music was pretty awesome though so don't feel to bad! :-p

[@archer8492]

Really enjoyed this vid, I found the Royal Armouries channel through Jonathan Ferguson's videos with Forgotten Weapons and Gamespot but I'm starting to work through the channel's own videos and, as a bit of a Japanese history/samurai geek, this was fascinating. More please!

[@wac8516]

i like learning about japanese history and their craftsmen. this was a really great vid with wonderful info on their arrnor and the way it was used. thanks so much

[@holeymattress8128]

Came here to learn about Japanese armor, wound up buying a plush armored elephant toy.

[@craigcooknf]

Welcome to Costco!!!!

[@Chips308]

9:20 the rabbit figure also meant playfulness on the battlefield. So the figures could also say something about the warriors. Just a little tip for the next people who would wanna know

[@conconcussy]

Very informative video, and the curator’s voice is a pleasure to listen to

[@kevinprince9527]

I have a feeling, this woman is really enjoying the new Shogun series atm ;)

[@zachsmith3376]

What a great show!! :~》

[@zizkazenit7885]

Absolutely fantastic video. Please keep them coming!

[@RoyalArmouriesMuseum]

Thanks Zizka!

[@fluffycommander]

Natasha Bennet has a fantastic wealth of knowledge, great video!

[@EfnysYersina]

Great informative video! I've visited a samurai exhibinstion at the Netherlands. These armours are pieces of art.

[@simonwalker8300]

Absolutely fascinating. Even in warfare, i have always enjoyed the Japanese favour towards beauty, even the irony of it being immediately before death.

[@carlosiglesias9588]

This is great information easy to understand.

[@thedreamcapture2681]

Recently played Ghost of Tsushima this has been the most comprehensive look at the armor and period, absolutely brilliant, brilliant job to the presenter.

[@EloyBushida]

Great video, love this sort of thing.

[@issen2291]

The way the comparison between european and japanese blades is phrased, it gives the impression that not only did the japanese think western blades were inferior, but that they were, in fact, inferior in reality ("We all know japanese blades are legendary...") despite the fact that we know this is not the case, but instead they are built differently to emphasize different attributes which were more important to europeans in warfare. I would be interested in knowing specifically why the japanese regarded foreign blades as inferior. Is it because they prized sharpness and-or edge retention in particular? Are there period documents on the subject?

[@rafaelomansan]

The reason they dint value European swords a smuch it was likely due to the fact Samurai Status being related to the carrying of japanese swords, therefore other than owning foreign blades for personal collection they would not actually carry it daily or during battle. Armor on the other hand could vary a lot on their shapes and construction, and a Samurai wearing a foreign ( probably bulletproof for those intended for combat) expensive armor would be seemed as someone of High Status due to the expensive nature of either importing or having said armor manufactured.

[@JDub_GP]

Japanese swords are made from metal that has never been melted. The bloom steel or Tamahagene is heated and hammered and folded to remove impurites in order to make the steel for the blade. That is why true katana have a beautiful structure to the steel. Whereas foreign swords are made from steel that is melted and the impurities removed from it in its melted state before being poured to make bars or rounds that are then forged to make the sword. Sharpness and strength is not superior between japanese or foreign swords per se. The fact that the japanese sword is made without melting the steel is seen as preserving its true nature and why they are seen by the Japanese as superior (just one view). Just as an add on to this, when the sword is quenched to make it hard, it's true nature is said to be brought to life which is when it gets its final shape (the bend) and its soul.

[@SDE1994]

thankyou for the re upload

[@oliverhardman3513]

I feel very lucky to be one of the 3000 people to see this great video.

[@RoyalArmouriesMuseum]

Thank you Oliver! We are glad you liked it. If you would like to help more people see it then you can share it around for us ;) .

[@stephengent9974]

Anealing to make metal ore workable can be counteracted by hardening as happened for weapons making.

[@nomadjensen8276]

the armor set at 12:54, the helmet used is very close to a European style called the sugar loaf helm.

[@dondouglass6415]

An utterly fascinating video. Thank you... Huzzah!! 😊

[@Danogil]

Interesting information on the armor of the Japanese. I have read several papers and other information on Oda Nobunaga a leading Daimyo from the Japanese Waring Sates Period. Thank you.

[@tonimickiewicz8453]

Fantastically done documentary! It would be great if you could do a follow up om just Onin to Sengoku Jidai developments! Amazing work

[@zapfanzapfan]

Very interesting. That last helmet was like something from a fantasy movie 🙂

[@uber-trooper4162]

I absolutely need that plush elephant

[@suntzu6122]

Coolest armor ever made, hands down, bar none, NOT CLOSE.

[@redjohn2523]

Thank you for your great job

[@DEVAEGIR]

In a way, the move of armour from a utilitarian towards a symbolic function in Japan parallels somewhat that of Europe (with the allowance that Europe did not experience anything remotely resembling peace). So, the seventeenth century still sees infantry in armour for a time, and armoured cavalry with both traditional and lighter forms of armour simply because they continue fighting, and at least partly continue fighting the same wars that they did in the sixteenth century (Eighty Years War, Turkish Wars, etc.) However, even with this almost continuous military activity (or, perhaps, because of it, the cost involved, alongside other developments), from the eighteenth century onwards, the only piece of armour surviving was the breastplate, used on the battlefield mainly by cuirassiers, and otherwise it is ceremonial - the ornate, parade cuirasses we see in portraits from the era. These are much smaller, less complex, essentially a breastplate (with or without a backplate). The difference is, of course, that in Europe the change is brought about by warfare and practical considerations, whereas in Japan it is the result of policy aimed to curtail warfare.

[@ianbruce6515]

Absolutely fascinating! Thank you!

[@simonc4764]

I remember Ian Bottomley served as curator of Japanese arms and armour.

[@simonfarrell6585]

The samurai helmet was the inspiration for the Darth Vader helmet

[@monumentstosuffering2995]

Got my old Suzuki GS650 Katana . Might be worth getting going so I can swagger about town like the local Samurai challenging the peasantry to duels. Bump - starting it to make a cowardly retreat from their pitchforks might be embarrassing though.

[@danielgrahamandrews9293]

@10:20 minor quibble on the subtitles you might fix. The speaker says "Buke" the japanese word for the warrior class, but the subtitler wrote "Bouquet" which is a totally unrelated french word with a roughly identical pronunciation.

[@picklewiickle.1583]

problem with these swords is they never reached the molten state so they have impurities. thats why they folded them do much to try to hammer them out.

[@paulmartin6419]

Japanese made swords for the functions they served. You’re comparing apples to oranges. You just a sound like a closet white supremacist trying to defend the “West” or something.

[@JDub_GP]

@royalarmouries near the end of the video when talking about the leaf helmet you state the embossing weakens the armour. I agree with you in principle, however this helmet is embossed with straight lines not filagree like french armour, which strengthens the armour usually. Just my opinion but would love to hear a professional response.

[@mexicanhalloween]

of course, there are many tales of the incredible battlefield performance of the big chungus samurai

[@leogazebo5290]

How a man shall be armed in the 15th century Japan. Coming soon? 🤔

[@RoyalArmouriesMuseum]

We are doing more for that series very soon. Japan won't be the first one we have planned, but eventually we hope to get round to it Panda.

[@dantae666]

@@RoyalArmouriesMuseum please do this lots of us want to see this

[@jonajo9757]

Oh man, I'd like to see that. Like Japan from the good ol' wooden cuirasses to iron armor. I want to see the pre samurai era armors in action.

[@kastenbrustarmory6907]

@@jonajo9757 wooden?

[@ishi-b6w]

@@jonajo9757 wooden armor did not exist..

[@alm5992]

4:30 are those boxes on their guns to keep the powder dry from rain?

[@andrewsema359]

great channel and content for people interested in history. ❤it

[@aristosbywater9605]

I have a samurai armor Do. If I wanted to learn more about its history, how would I go about it?

[@RoyalArmouriesMuseum]

Hi Benjamin. Tweet us some photos with any info you have and we will try and do our best to give you some info about it. @royal_armouries

[@RoyalArmouriesMuseum]

Otherwise you could take it to your local museum and ask them to take a look.

[@aristosbywater9605]

Royal Armouries Thank you for the advice, I think I will

[@roontunes]

That was fascinating, thank you

[@schizoidboy]

My weird question is how the armor withstood attacks from swords. Was the armor capable of deflecting attacks from swords or where they more concerned about arrows. Recently I learned the samurai actually banked their skills on spears and bows and arrows rather than the swords.

[@anotherhistoryenthusiast5874]

Armor had no problem defending against swords. Altough you could still get broken underneath. Iron Mountain Armoury has a good test video on this.

[@Northwoods62]

Swords were generally ineffective against even well made textile armor unless you had a good thrust or slash. You're correct about swords acting more as a side arm than a main weapon. Spears and poll arms were more effective and easier to use. Though the lamellar construction of Japanese armour is more vulnerable because of the overlapping plates which could allow a thrust to slide through the gap of the plates, this is unlikely to happen and if it did it probably wouldn't penetrate deep if at all.

[@oscartravis5740]

I'm making a scale set of armour so this was fantastic for my research, thank you

[@nilo70]

Thank you !

[@siorai1]

What about samurai masks , I didn’t hear them mentioned at all

[@Conn30Mtenor]

That ashigaru helmet bears the mon of the Oda clan. The jingasa could double as a cooking pot as well. The wide shoulder guards became smaller in response to the changes in fighting; the sword gradually took over from the Yumi in importance so the shoulder guards correspondingly became smaller.

[@Perceval777]

You got only one thing wrong - the sword taking taking over from the yumi. The matchlock arquebus took the place of the yumi as a ranged weapon. As for melee weapons, the Japanese sword was never a main battlefield weapon. You can't do much with a katana in a formation against armoured opponents who are also in a formation. The katana can't cut through armour and on top of that it's actually very easy to chip. The master of the battlefield was the yari spear, the katana or tachi were only a backup in case the samurai or ashigaru lost his main weapon. Apart from the yari, other main melee weapons were the naginata (basically replaced by the yari in the Sengoku era), nagamaki, and tetsubo/kanabo.

[@Jon.A.Scholt]

The stuffed animal elephant was the best part

[@SandyRiverBlue]

There is a very interesting style of faceguard from the 10th or 11th centuries, called the happuri, that looks for all the world like the faceguard of a Greek hoplite's (oplitis οπλίτης) helmet. I don't know if the similarity between the look of the faceguards and the sound of their respective names is just incidental but there are records of hoplite mercenaries interacting with Chinese troops before the 10th century. Just a thought.

[@jiversteve]

Excellent presentation!

[@kimkracht8936]

So cool thank you

Very interesting Video. As a small time youtuber I can relate with Audio Problems :)

[@garysowder9772]

Great clip

[@mindmedic9435]

Samurai, you said, means one who serves. The word knight comes directly from the old English, cniht, which means a house servant or, one who serves.

[@LuigiCotocea]

7:22 Is this from Takeda clan? Cause i saw in the new series and in new episode of Shōgun in ep 3 on Disney+ Edit: Funny how when i turn on my pc, takeda clan logo appears but its also logo for windows 💀

[@althesmith]

I think there was a fair bit of cachet to European armours. Besides being very effective there must have been a point of pride to having "international" connections spanning a whole continent.

[@sirupate]

A great video, their are pictures of Samurai using shields btw, and a bit more the Tachi and Katana would have been nice 👍

[@thoughtheglass]

Why is japanese armour so often black? is it paint? or is it from a heat treatment for the iron? how did you maintain it and avoid rust?

[@Perceval777]

I'm not sure about the colour, maybe it was the easiest to make, but Japanese armour doesn't rust much because it's lacquered. The lacquer protects it from water and moisture.

[@nicholasricardo8443]

It's black lacquer, and I think that black dyes are probably the cheapest, probably made from ash

[@thoughtheglass]

@@nicholasricardo8443 does the lacquer get damaged in fights? Do you have to repair it?

[@nicholasricardo8443]

@@thoughtheglass Yes I know from experience that lacquer chips quite easily since it sets very hard, much harder than a varnish or other finishes, you would have to repaint it as part of armor repairs, Iron Mountain Armory has a youtube channel (they made the reproduction red armor in this video) and you can see any sword blows or musket fire chips the lacquer when they tested their armors for protective value against contemporary japanese weaponry

[@nicholasricardo8443]

@@thoughtheglass kzbin.info/www/bejne/emqyp5SCZ7xpeKM&ab_channel=SamuraiArmor this is the URL for the video if you wanna watch it, really informative stuff, and if you are in the market for a suit of Samurai armor, probably the best quality you can buy

[@BirTek-93]

Maybe Im wrong but didnt samurais wore Odachis instead of katana? Like bigger katana than a casual one.

[@eagle162]

Some samurai did Yes.

[@norwichnutz]

Very interesting, thank you.

[@Napyism]

I'm a little curious as to the rabbit/hare ornamentation on the helmet and what significance it may have held. When I see it the first thought to come to mind is "The wearer went into battle with bunny ears" which is probably not the intent of the armorer or wearer.

[@RoyalArmouriesMuseum]

Hi Alexander, it may have been a family motif or personal emblem. I think the very fact that you would have picked the wearer out over anyone else might have been exactly what he was going for.

[@pinocciokun]

I am Japanese and let me answer your question. Rabbit crest is often used as a symbol of prosperity and success in Japan. Why rabbit? 1) rabbits leave a numerous offspring, a symbol of fertility. 2) rabbits can ran fast, hop well. reach fast to the success and not to be captured by enemy.

[@AlFonso-p6p]

And according to Nintendo they can make you run very very fast!! O.o

[@Bfr3shBrian]

This is great! I found this channel from a Gamespot video on Katanas

[@PersonalityMalfunction]

Have you met Jonathan Ferguson? What was he like? Does he like samurai stuff? Say hi to Jonathan if you see him!

[@jamesrafael6794]

Whats its called, lamellar ?

[@rodrowdy6661]

Would these items have a value? Or would they be considered priceless?

[@RoyalArmouriesMuseum]

Hi Rod, We do have values for our objects, but we do not sell them as it is a publically owned collection.

[@Apis4]

I do not know if this has been said before, and these guys posted this a year ago so it's a late comment, but in fact, we DO have a lot of evidence of Tate, the common small rectangular Japanese shields being used before the Heian period, more importantly, we have plenty of evidence of their use in the Samurai Era, post Heian. Certainly they were fairly common among infantry of the non-Samurai class, and indeed, even with firearms, we see their use, not maybe typical Tate, but oversized, thicker ones, which bore a strong resemblance to the free standing Pavis of Europe, they'd make walls out of a line of them and shoot over them. However, we also know from both art and textual sources, that from the 13th to the 16th centuries, Tate never even fully disappeared in the Samurai armoury. Whilst the bow became the power weapon of the Samurai, and they became expert mounted archers, and their sword style employed both hands, or less commonly, two swords if not.... they were NOT the only Samurai weapons... and much like Europe, we see polearms being a constant elements to some extent, lesser or greater, in the Samurai arsenal. During the Samurai period, often you either employed a Bow, mounted, or a Sword mounted if you had to, or a Sword on the field afoot.... but for certain Samurai, from certain schools and regions, or serving certain Lords.... polearms, like the Naginata, or certain types of Spear became very popular and were more often used, especially when mounted. Tate were the go to method for addressing this, as often, even the Naginata would be deployed more like a Lance than a Glaive. Much as in Europe, the best way to protect yourself from something powerful enough to breach the tolerances of your armour, was a shield. It just was something not really noted by European historians, or non Japanese who were exposed to the culture at the time, because they were just not as common as they were in Europe, or had been, at least. So actually, it would not be unheard of to see a Samurai riding in to battle with a Tate shield mounted on his back, just like a Europe Knight might.

[@eagle162]

By any chance got any links to sources about the shields.

[@Apis4]

@@eagle162 I have the best one bookmarked, on my pc, I think, so I'll post it when I can. But even here YT there's discussions. I think The Metatron did a video where he speaks of this. Don't know if you've seen it, but worth a look if not.

[@TheCbk760]

Fascinating 👍🏼

[@therealoxcooper4616]

Fantastic video

[@goobfilmcast4239]

A tale of two Island Countries .... Japan, having established political stability by the early 1600s turned inward....Britain, despite the political issues of succession, religion and subsequent Civil War, looked outward and expanded well past their shores. Imagine if Japan had a more flexible foreign policy with Diplomats and Trade missions in Europe, Czarist Russia and Colonial North and South America.....then realized the advantages of state-sponsored industrialization a century earlier than the Meiji Restoration. We would be living in a very different World today.

[@michaeltate8017]

Fab just sublime 😊

[@martiniv8924]

Fascinating,

[@theflyingfool]

One thing I'd say is that the camera work could be improved when showing individual pieces by taking a little more time to allow the viewer to absorb the detail of the piece rather than skimming over it in a cursory manner. A good example was the failure to show the detail of the gun that Natasha was discussing like the dragon and other embellishments. A simple cut to a separate clip that had the camera stable for a clear shot of the area in question could easily be inserted into the video. Perhaps a storyboard approach would help, following a discussion of what the expert wanted to talk about and highlight.

[@RossMK97]

I'd love to see this lady react to armour and weapons from Ghost of Tsushima.

[@garethh6962]

That was interesting thanks

[@gbickell]

Excellent! Is the elephant a reference to the elephant armour?

[@No-onezy]

Has there ever been a recorded instance of a samurai battling a medieval european knight?

[@finokruz]

fascinating !

[@bobsaget8791]

that's so cool! how'd they get to the U.K. tho

[@epsilonxvi5675]

it's called asset so if you saw a news about a country selling there asset it's not only company or businesses it's icluding labor force and your cultural artifacts and heritage.

[@willwilliams9557]

I really want to buy a samurai armor set but I’m afraid the Japanese will hate me for it. I’m not trying to appropriate their culture I adore their culture and want to immerse myself in it. Would like to hear you guy’s opinion on this matter.

[@anotherhistoryenthusiast5874]

That's just stupid. You can wear what you want.

[@willwilliams9557]

@@anotherhistoryenthusiast5874 you never know these days. People will claim cultural appropriation for anything. I just had to make sure.

[@anotherhistoryenthusiast5874]

@@willwilliams9557 People who claim cultural appropiation are usually white American Karens. I don't think that actual Japanese people have problem with this. You can look up Iron Mountain Armoury. They sell samurai armor.

[@willwilliams9557]

@@anotherhistoryenthusiast5874 thank you.

[@cjason123]

Imagine dying 1 minute into a battle with a beautiful shiny helmet

[@necrophadian]

What's with the elephant?

[@MarcelSelhorst]

The audio is a little bit low, but still a fascinating video, really interesting.

[@wolf310ii]

The simple helmet was very nervous being infront of a camera, it was shivering all the time.

[@frankfarklesberry]

I wonder how the UK acquired that armor? I hope it was legitimate.

[@AlFonso-p6p]

Historically the legitimate way to get armor is through conquest fyi lol Ancient warriors often spoiled their enemies including their weapons and armors and anything else of value like women! Even in civil wars to foreign wars it didn't make a difference. War is war and gains is gains. So get off your high horse and realize that their people were just as bloodthirsty and violent as everyone else around the world! These weapons weren't for making peace you know ☝️

[@mikefriend1514]

Had no idea this collection existed.

[@thenorthernedge]

cool

[@lennykusa9025]

When. the Japanese started copying the rifles (Portugese?) they couldn't make the screws to hold them together and had some failures.

[@rumdrinkinpirate6107]

When gun Jesus meets heavenly Bennet I’m pretty sure William the first western samurai warrior will be looking down on you beaming ear to ear

[@Koelebig]

So, answering the question about samurai being similar to European knights regarding social status: Yes.

[@Koelebig]

Also, 'knight', comes from Dutch/German 'knecht', which translates to 'servant' just like 'samurai' does. Anyway...

[@Michael-mc4hm]

You should rate the armours in video games

[@liviomachiavelli8967]

The neck of the samurai was very exposed ,the side . That was the most easy to kill a samurai . I can't believe they didn't come with a better neck guard

[@eagle162]

They had armor for that area the video doesn't show many images of it, here's where you can read about armor keep in mind does not go over everything. "Japanese Armor Body Coverage Explained" on Gunbai.

[@liviomachiavelli8967]

@@eagle162 I watched every video ,inclusive museums webinars on samurai videos. They never had any full neck guard . Only the front cover from the face mask or another attachment for the front lower neck .

[@eagle162]

@@liviomachiavelli8967 for some reason they don't appear to care about these parts maybe because most armor is from the edo period where became more of a decorated costume or maybe because it's easier to display them without the other parts so they just wind up in storage, whatever the reason check out the article.

[@AlFonso-p6p]

They likely had no use for neck armor in their warfare for the most part. The helmet kabutos likely were enough neck protection given their wide coverage area. Also there's always trade offs in designs. Sometimes you don't add certain things to make mobility easier or visibility, heat tolerance, etc and various other issues like that. Armor has always evolved and changed completely depending on their threats and their technologies. As the weapons changed so did the wars...

[@5chr4pn3ll]

What about the elephant in the room?

[@Ray_Shabaz]

Not in a disrespectful way, but hopefully I'll be able to purchase a real one by this Halloween

[@LordAthurel]

Devuelvan el moai!!