Kabuto - History

History

Japanese helmets from the fifth century (before samurai) have been found in excavated tombs. Called mabizashi-tsuke kabuto (visor-attached helmet), the style of these ancient helmets came from China and Korea and they had a pronounced central ridge.

Kabuto were a prominent and important part of the equipment of the samurai, and played a symbolic role, as well. This explains the number of expressions, sayings and codes related to them. A few examples follow:

• Katte kabuto no o o shimeyo ("Tighten the string of the kabuto after winning the war"): don't lower your efforts after succeeding. This could be compared to "not to rest on one's laurels".
• kabuto o nugu ("to take off the kabuto"): to surrender

Upon the return of general peace under the Tokugawa Shogunate in the Edo period, armour became more elaborate and ceremonial. Many very luxurious armours were produced during this period. Fine armour continued to be produced to the end of the Edo period in 1867, and slightly beyond. Later armours often emulated the garb of the romanticized Kamakura-Muromachi warriors.

In modern times, smaller-sized Japanese armours and kabuto are bought and kept by Japanese people as a personal interior collection or a seasonal home decoration item displayed during the Boys' Festival on May 5 for expressing the hope that each boy in the family will grow up healthy and strong.