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Kabuto (兜, 冑) is a type of helmet first used by ancient Japanese warriors that, in later periods, became an important part of the traditional Japanese armour worn by the samurai class and their retainers in feudal Japan.
Note that in the Japanese language, the word kabuto is an appellative, not a type description, and can refer to any combat helmet.
Every year on Children's Day, May 5, Japanese households display miniature kabuto and samurai armor in keeping with the tradition of Tango no Sekku. In feudal times, real samurai armor, kabuto, and tachi were displayed.
Kabuto, now known as samurai helmets, first appeared in the 10th century Heian period with the appearance of ō-yoroi. Until the early Muromachi period, kabuto were made by combining dozens of thin iron plates. Generally, only daimyo and samurai at the rank of commander wore kabuto ornaments called datemono (立物), which were shaped like a pair of hoes. In the middle of the Muromachi period, as the number of large group battles increased, ordinary samurai wore datemono in the shape of a hoe, the sun, the moon, or their flag on their kabuto to show their courage or to distinguish friend from foe. 変わり兜展. Fukuoka City Museum
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In the Sengoku period in the 16th century, when the scale of war increased and the guns called tanegashima became popular, the armor styles called ō-yoroi and dō-maru became outdated. As a response to the popularity of tanegashima, the armor style of tosei-gusoku (当世具足) was created. Tosei-gusoku kabuto were made by combining three to four pieces of iron plates. These were more bulletproof than the conventional style and could be mass produced. The tatemono became more eccentric and huge. Some were made of iron, but for safety reasons on the battlefield, they were often made with molded, lacquer-coated paper. In the Azuchi–Momoyama period, tosei-gusoku kabuto had a simple, bold design in accordance with the popularity of Momoyama culture.
In the Edo period, the Tokugawa shogunate defeated the Toyotomi clan in the Summer Siege of Osaka. Japanese society became more peaceful and medieval armor styles were revived. Ōyoroi- and dōmarustyle kabuto were made again. 甲冑に見る江戸時代展5 武士と武人の甲冑像 Fukuoka City Museum Ornamental kawari kabuto ("strange helmet") were made during this time that had "figures of Animal, (2026). 9784805316597, Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 9784805316597
The kabuto was an important part of the equipment of the samurai, and played a symbolic role as well, which may explain the Japanese expressions, sayings, and codes related to them. For instance, Katte kabuto no o wo shimeyo translates literally to "Tighten the string of the kabuto after winning the war". This refers to not reducing one's efforts after success; an equivalent saying in English would be "Don't rest on your laurels". 勝って兜の緒を締めよ weblio国語辞典 Kabuto wo nugu (lit. "to take off the kabuto") means "to surrender".
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A typical kabuto features a central dome constructed of anywhere from three to over a hundred metal plates riveted together. These were usually arranged vertically, radiating from a small opening in the top. The rivets securing these metal plates to each other could be raised (a form known as hoshi-bachi) or hammered flat (a form known as suji-bachi); another form, called hari bachi, had the rivets filed flush. Some of the finer hachi were signed by their makers, usually from one of several known families, such as the Myochin, Saotome, Haruta, Unkai, or Nagasone families.
A small opening in the top of the kabuto, called the tehen or hachimanza (seat of the war god, Hachiman), was thought to be for passing the warrior's Chonmage through. Although this practice was largely abandoned after the Muromachi period, this opening may have been retained for purposes of ventilation or simply as an artifact of how the plates were riveted together. The tehen was usually decorated with tehen kanamono, which were rings of intricately worked, soft metal bands often resembling a chrysanthemum. Zunari kabuto and momonari kabuto were two helmet forms that did not usually have an opening at the top.
Kabuto incorporated a suspended neck guard called a shikoro, usually composed of three to seven semicircular, lacquered metal or oxhide lames, attached and articulated by silk or leather lacing, although some shikoro were composed of 100 or more small metal scales in a row.The Encyclopedia Americana: a library of universal knowledge, Volume 15 p.774 This lamellar armour style, along with kusari (mail armour), was the standard technology of Japanese body armour, and some shikoro were made of mail sewn to a cloth lining (a form called kusari shikoro).
The kabuto was secured to the head by a chin cord called shinobi-no-o, which would usually be tied to posts or hooks on the mengu (facial armour) or simply tied under the chin.
Kabuto are often adorned with crests called datemono or tatemono; the four types of decorations were the maedate (frontal decoration), wakidate (side decorations), kashiradate (top decoration), and ushirodate (rear decoration). These can be family crests (mon), or flat or sculptural objects representing animals, mythical entities, prayers or other symbols. Horns are particularly common, and many kabuto incorporate kuwagata, stylized antlers.
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