Samurai Armor Designs Adorn Bags, Accessories; Traditional Techniques Applied to Everyday Items by Tokyo Craftswoman
The Yomiuri Shimbun
'Yoroi-Temoto' bags are designed with traditional patterns and equipped with removable handles.
Armor is a symbol of samurai warriors. Originally a practical form of protection, samurai warriors also regarded their armor as a way to show off their presence, and decorated it strikingly. Today, armor designs are incorporated into bags and accessories, bringing out the wearer's individuality.
In the Heian period (794 to late 12th century) and Kamakura period (late 12th century to 1333), high-ranking warriors such as 'sodaisho' (commander-in-chief) used a type of armor called 'o-yoroi' (great armor), which features large sleeves. Since their armor symbolized their authority, it was extravagantly decorated and built using the most sophisticated metalworking, woodworking and dyeing techniques of the time.
One of the techniques is 'odoshi,' a decorative technique in which strips of boards used for the torso and sleeves are tied together using leather or braided cords. The knots vary depending on the armor and the cords come in various colors, such as white, red and purple. The technique increases the strength of the armor while adding splendor and originality.
'Not only is samurai armor strong but it is a symbol of timeless beauty,' said Katsuyo Goto, fifth-generation owner of the over 120-year-old samurai armor factory 'Koujin,' in Sumida Ward, Tokyo, and the only female samurai armor artisan in Japan.
Born in Sumida Ward, Goto studied under her father for nearly 30 years and became the fifth 'Chikaraishi Koujin,' the name inherited by the representative of her family, in 2018.
The Yomiuri Shimbun
Katsuyo Goto carefully sews braided cords called 'odoshige' by hand.
She began producing bags called 'Yoroi-Temoto' using the odoshi technique, aiming to make the appeal of samurai armor more widely known, including to women.
With the odoshi technique, she creates a design on the soft, strong deer leather used in making samurai armor. She uses patterns such as 'murasaki susogo,' in which the colors darken from top to bottom — from white to yellow to purple — and 'omodaka,' a pattern based on the image of wild water grasses growing in ponds and streams.
These elegant patterns are the same as those in pieces of samurai armor designated as important cultural properties, according to Goto. With the functions of a daily-use bag in mind, its handle is designed to be removable and interchangeable.
Since she makes all the parts by hand, it takes at least three months to complete a bag. Lately, she has begun making business card holders, similar to those used by businessmen, and table clocks for interior decor.
'I enjoy thinking about what items I can apply these armor-making techniques to. I would like to make more people feel closer to the beauty of samurai armors,' Goto said enthusiastically.
Yomiuri Shimbun photos
Left: Business card holders Right: A clock with a samurai motif
Reproducing national treasures
The Yomiuri Shimbun
A replica of the Shiroito Odoshi Tsumadori Yoroi
For generations, her factory has focused on making replicas of pieces of samurai armor that have been preserved as cultural properties.
The graceful white samurai armor suit is a replica of the Shiroito Odoshi Tsumadori Yoroi, a national treasure owned by the Kushihiki Hachiman Shrine in Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture. The suit is 65 centimeters tall. Goto studied the techniques and materials used in the Nambokucho period (1336-1392), when the original suit was built, and copied all its details.
Making a suit of samurai armor requires more than 5,000 steps and about six months to complete, according to Goto. 'Suits of samurai armor are masterpieces that contain the traditional beauty of Japan,' she said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yomiuri Shimbun
12 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
PM Ishiba Mourns Shigeo Nagashima's Passing; Calls Baseball Legend ‘Symbol of Hope'
Yomiuri Shimbun file photo Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks to reporters in Tokyo on May 3. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Tuesday night mourned the passing of Shigeo Nagashima saying, 'I always admired him. It seems like the end of an era,' speaking to reporters at the Prime Minister's Office. 'He was like the shining sun and a symbol of hope to everyone,' Ishiba said, adding, 'He richly deserved the People's Honor Award.'
Yomiuri Shimbun
5 days ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
As Sudan Enters Its Third Year of Civil War, the Japanese Government Is Teaming up with Agencies to Support Women Refugees Who Are Victims of Sex Crimes.
The Yomiuri Shimbun Rei Doi, right, talks to a refugee woman using kitchen utensils brought through a project funded by the Japanese government in Port Sudan, Sudan, on May 5. PORT SUDAN, Sudan — The government is striving to support women facing hardship in Sudan as the northeast African country enters the third year of a civil war. The meticulous measures include setting up facilities that serve as a safe haven to victims of sex violence and other offenses. The civil war began in April 2023 and the state military forces are still battling hard against the opposing paramilitary group, Rapid Support Forces. The war has been described as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, producing more than 11 million refugees. The nature of gender-based violence is getting more serious as well, with 6.7 million cases of such crime reported by December 2023. The Japanese government has invested a minimum of about ¥663 million in the enterprise on support for mainly women affected by the civil war and has extended aid through international organs and local nongovernmental organizations. A project by U.N. Women supported by Japan bore fruit in December last year with the completion of Safe Space, a shelter and meeting place in the state of Gedaref in eastern Sudan where only women can get together and safely have discussions with each other. The women refugees include victims of sex crimes who are traumatized by the violence but are unable to talk about their horrific experiences to anyone. The project aims to offer such women opportunities to encourage each other and gain some momentum to get back on their feet. As refugees generally do not interact with residents and tend to be isolated, Safe Space helps them integrate into the local community. The Japanese government is also working on raising awareness in women on how to avoid falling victim to gender-based violence. The government is also providing them with vocational training on making things such as soap and bread so that they can improve their standard of living. 'Sudanese women are ready to help others even though they have troubles themselves,' said Rei Doi of U.N. Women, who oversees support activities at Safe Space. 'This country is promising because there are personnel resources as well as rich agricultural resources. I'd like to offer as many opportunities as possible to women who are willing to do something.'
Yomiuri Shimbun
5 days ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Leaf-Raking Event at Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine Commemorates Legendary Camphor Tree; ‘Sen-nen Kusu' Died in 1994 but Lives on in Annual Art Project
The Yomiuri Shimbun An artwork created on the grounds of Dazaifu Tenmangu shrine, inspired by a legendary giant camphor tree, is seen in this photo taken with a 360-degree camera. DAZAIFU, Fukuoka — It was 7 a.m. On the shrine grounds, the chirping of birds mixed with the sound of bamboo rakes scratching the sandy earth. The scent of camphor trees wafted through a large open space where people were using fallen leaves to make a work of art. The artwork was created on the final day of 'Kusukaki,' an art project held annually at Dazaifu Tenmangu shrine in Dazaifu, Fukuoka Prefecture. The project depicts one of the shrine's many camphor trees, a legendary giant specimen which previously stood there. This year's Kusukaki project — the name is a play on the Japanese word 'kaku,' which can mean both 'raking' and 'drawing,' and 'kusu,' which means 'camphor tree' — was held from March 22 to April 12. During this three-week period, on almost every day except the final one, 30 to 50 people would arrive at the shrine, starting at 6:30 a.m., and spend about an hour collecting fallen leaves on the shrine grounds using bamboo rakes. The participants made a pile of the collected leaves, which went from 30 centimeters tall on the first day to taller than the height of a child on the final day. On the final day, 85 participants used their imaginations and bamboo rakes to shape the leaves into a pattern that evoked a camphor tree. The Yomiuri Shimbun Yasuaki Igarashi, who initiated the event The project, now in its 16th year, was initiated by Yasuaki Igarashi, 46, an artist living in Chiba Prefecture. Igarashi's idea for the project was inspired by what he saw and felt when he participated in an art event held when the nearby Kyushu National Museum was completed. The camphor trees on the shrine grounds were sprouting new shoots, pushing away the old leaves, and many more leaves had already fallen to the ground. It was the time of year when the season seems to change in an instant from winter to spring. Under the trees, shrine priests dressed in white were gathering the fallen leaves with bamboo rakes. As they raked, a striped pattern of leaves appeared on the ground, on which more leaves soon fell. A sacred act 'The sweeping seemed to me like a sacred act, clearing the ground for the next batch of leaves to fall,' Igarashi recalled. He also thought that it would be nice if this activity, which was like welcoming the fallen leaves to the earth, could be shared with many people. The Yomiuri Shimbun New leaves sprout from a camphor tree. Around the time he was having these thoughts, he learned that there used to be a giant camphor tree, called the 'Sen-nen Kusu' (1,000-year-old camphor tree), in the middle of the shrine grounds. But as growing numbers of worshippers had begun visiting the shrine and walking around the tree, the ground became hard and compacted, crushing its roots. This, combined with the effects of acid rain, reportedly caused the tree to wither and die in 1994. Igarashi wondered if he might be able to recreate the scenes of falling leaves that had continued for more than a millennium on the spot where the giant camphor tree once stood. 'With 'Kusukaki,' I wanted to depict the image of the tree as it once was and feel the presence of the Sen-nen Kusu through the act of raking up the camphor leaves,' Igarashi said. More and more people who shared his interest started to join in. Kusukaki is now an annual spring event that sees a participant count of about 1,000 each year, ranging from kindergartners to senior citizens. Raking sessions are held early in the morning, out of consideration for local residents' commute times for school and work. The refreshing early morning atmosphere of the shrine grounds may be another reason for its popularity, making people feel like they are in a 'sanctuary.' The Yomiuri Shimbun Participants use their imaginations to shape fallen leaves into a design that evokes the shrine's legendary '1,000-year-old camphor tree.' Kusukaki has gradually become known by word of mouth, attracting more than a few participants from far away, including the Kanto region and even from overseas. Keiji Yonekawa, a fourth-grade elementary school student, participated for the first time alongside four members of his family. He piled up fallen leaves with a bamboo rake and then said: 'I didn't know leaves were so heavy. It was cold outside, but it was fun.' Igarashi says that each participant enjoys the event in their own way. Some look forward to seeing people they know each year as if it were a school reunion. Some others enjoy chatting, and still others just work quietly with bamboo rakes. 'Everyone has a unique personality. It's fun,' Igarashi said. Igarashi also says that many participants feel a loose connection to other participants when they connect with their own feelings and communicate with the legendary camphor tree by taking part in the event. The artwork created on the ground vanished before noon, and the site became sandy ground once more as if nothing had happened. The Yomiuri Shimbun A participant enjoys the scent of camphor leaves in small bags. Some of the collected leaves were packed in 'hosho bukuro,' cloth bags prepared for this purpose. Participants enjoyed the gentle, subtly sweet aroma of the packed leaves during breaks from their work. Igarashi said, 'As long as we have hearts that can feel things that are invisible but important, the Sen-nen Kusu tree will continue to exist here.'
