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Dō (breastplate or cuirass) is one of the major components of Japanese armour worn by the samurai class and foot soldiers (ashigaru) of feudal Japan. ==History== The predecessor of the samurai cuirass, or dō, was manufactured in Japan as early as the 4th century.〔(''Sacred texts and buried treasures: issues in the historical archaeology of ancient Japan'', William Wayne Farris, University of Hawaii Press, 1998 P.75 )〕''tankō'', worn by foot soldiers and ''keikō'', worn by horsemen were both pre-samurai types of early Japanese ''cuirass'' constructed from iron plates connected by leather thongs. During the Heian period (794 to 1185) the Japanese cuirass evolved into the more familiar style of armour worn by the samurai known as the . Japanese armour makers started to use hardened leather along with iron in their armour construction and lacquer was used to weather proof the armor parts. By the end of the Heian period the Japanese cuirass had arrived at the shape recognized as being distinctly samurai. Leather and or iron scales were used to construct samurai armours, with leather and eventually silk lace used to connect the individual scales (kozane) which these cuirasses were now being made from.〔(''Oriental Armour'', H. Russell Robinson, Courier Dover Publications, 2002 P.i73 )〕 In the 16th century Japan began trading with Europe during what would become known as the Nanban trade. Samurai acquired European cuirasses which they modified and combined with domestic armour as it provided better protection from the newly introduced matchlock muskets known as . The introduction of the ''tanegashima'' by the Portuguese in 1543〔(''Tanegashima: the arrival of Europe in Japan'', Olof G. Lidin, Nordic Institute of Asian Studies, NIAS Press, 2002 )〕 along with a change in battle tactics caused the Japanese armour makers to change the design of the ''dō'' from the centuries-old ''lamellar armours'' to ''plate armour'' constructed from iron and steel plates, this type of armour was called ''tosei gusoku'' (new armours).〔(''Samurai: The Weapons and Spirit of the Japanese Warrior'', Clive Sinclaire, Globe Pequot, 2004 P.32 )〕 Bullet resistant dō were developed, this type of armour was called (bullet tested)〔(''The Watanabe Art Museum Samurai Armour CollectionVolume I ~ Kabuto & Mengu'', Trevor Absolon P.78 )〕 allowing samurai to continue wearing their armour despite the increasing use of firearms. The warfare of the Sengoku period (15th and 16th centuries) required large quantities of armour to be produced for the ever growing armies of foot soldiers (''ashigaru''). Simple munition quality (''okashi'' or lent)〔(''The Watanabe Art Museum Samurai Armour Collection Volume I — Kabuto & Mengu'', Trevor Absolon P.130 )〕''dō'' were massed produced including ''tatami dō'' which could be folded.〔(''Samurai: The Weapons and Spirit of the Japanese Warrior'', Clive Sinclaire, Globe Pequot, 2004 P.29 )〕 The victory of Ieyasu Tokugawa at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, and his subsequent rise as Shogun in 1603, marked the end of the Sengoku period. By this time samurai continued to use both plate and lamellar cuirasses as a symbol of their status, but traditional armours were no longer necessary. During the Edo period, lightweight and concealed armour became popular as there was still a need for personal protection. Civil strife, duels, assassinations, peasant revolts required the use of ''tatami dō'' as well as (chain armour jackets) and armoured sleeves as well as other types of armour which could be worn under ordinary clothing.〔(Secrets of the samurai: a survey of the martial arts of feudal Japan, Oscar Ratti, Adele Westbrook, Tuttle Publishing, 1991 P.196 )〕 Edo period samurai were in charge of internal security and would wear various types of ''kusari gusoku'' (chain armour) and shin and arm protection as well as forehead protectors ().〔(''Taiho-jutsu: law and order in the age of the samurai'', Don Cunningham, Tuttle Publishing, 2004 P.46 )〕 Traditional armor continued to be worn and used in Japan until the end of the samurai era (Meiji period) in the 1860s, with the last use of samurai armour happening in 1877 during the Satsuma Rebellion.〔(''Samurai: The Weapons and Spirit of the Japanese Warrior'', Clive Sinclaire, Globe Pequot, 2004 P.58 )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Dō (armour)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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