Kabuto

Origin

The kabuto is thought to have taken its earliest form in the Kofun period of Japan, around the 5th century. The helmets of that age were simple forms made of joined iron plates, but as Japanese armor developed they were refined into an elaborate form with a rounded bowl, a neck guard, and ornament. The bowl was distinguished, by how it was made, into the hoshi-kabuto whose rivet heads stood out like stars and the suji-kabuto whose plate flanges rose in ridges, and at the crown was a hole (the tehen), originally for the topknot or for ventilation. By the Sengoku period, as the maedate and the transformed helmet developed splendidly, the kabuto became more than mere armor, a symbol that displayed a commander's individuality and dignity.

Features

• Rounded bowl (hachi) of several iron plates riveted together
• Neck guard (shikoro) protecting the rear and sides
• Turn-backs (fukigaeshi) guarding the face sides and bearing the crest
• Front crest (maedate) for identification and display of dignity
• Individual transformed helmets of Sengoku commanders
• Weight of about 2 to 5 kg, secured by a chin cord (shinobi-no-o)

Stories

The kabuto was the samurai's battle helmet and at the same time a piece of ornament that displayed rank and dignity. The rounded bowl guarded the head, the shikoro hanging behind covered the neck and shoulders, and the fukigaeshi guarded the sides of the face, so that the whole circle of the head was protected. Above all, the maedate at the front let one recognize from afar who the commander was, serving the practical purpose of overawing the enemy and showing one's own side where the commander stood. It was worn on the head with the armor and tied fast by a chin cord (the shinobi-no-o), and was often fitted together with a face mask (mengu) to cover the whole head.

Weakness

The weaknesses of the kabuto are vision, weight, and the double edge of its splendid ornament. The deeply seated bowl and the face mask guarded the head firmly but narrowed the field of view to the front and up and down. A huge maedate, while it displayed dignity, was easily seen from afar and made the wearer a target, and could catch on a branch or a doorframe or upset the balance. The larger the ornament, the heavier it grew, so that wearing it long tired the neck, which was a limit as well.

Cultural Significance

In samurai culture the kabuto was more than a helmet guarding the head: it was a symbol that held a commander's identity and aesthetic together. The transformed helmets of the Sengoku period in particular, building up shapes like the crescent moon, deer antlers, fern leaves, and conch shells in lacquered paper and wood, show the height of imagination that armor craft reached. The great crescent maedate of Date Masamune has become to this day a mark that symbolizes him, and such helmets let a commander be recognized at a glance on the field while carrying his prestige down to later ages. In Japan today, a custom remains of displaying a kabuto at the Boys' Festival to wish a young boy health and success.

In Popular Culture

The kabuto appears often as the symbolic helmet of a commander in period dramas, films, games, and Japanese-style fantasy about the samurai. Transformed helmets with huge maedate like a crescent moon or deer antlers are drawn with a striking look, used as a device that shows a character's individuality and prestige at a glance. Date Masamune in particular is portrayed almost always with his crescent helmet. In fiction, however, the maedate is often swollen larger and more unrealistic than the real thing, and the structure of real parts such as the shikoro and fukigaeshi is often simplified.

Trivia

• The 'transformed helmets' (kawari-kabuto) of the Sengoku period were built up in lacquered paper, wood, and leather into shapes such as the crescent moon, deer antlers, fern leaves, and conch shells, displaying a commander's individuality and dignity.
• The great crescent maedate of Date Masamune and the fern-leaf maedate of Tokugawa Ieyasu are especially famous and symbolize the two commanders to this day.
• In Japan today a custom remains of displaying a model kabuto at the Boys' Festival to wish a young boy health and advancement in life.