page_title: Ashigaru
section_title: Weapons and armour
hierarchical_section_title: Ashigaru / Weapons and armour
caption_attribution_description: Japanese Tanegashima arquebus
context_page_description: Ashigaru were infantry employed by the samurai class of feudal Japan. The first known reference to ashigaru was in the 14th century, but it was during the Ashikaga shogunate that the use of ashigaru became prevalent by various warring factions.
context_section_description: Ashigaru were commonly armed with naginata, yari, yumi and swords. Ashigaru armour varied depending on the period, from no armour to heavily armored and could consist of conical hats called jingasa made from iron, copper, wood, paper, bamboo, or leather,  dō (cuirasses), kabuto (helmets), tatami zukin (armoured hoods), kote (armoured sleeves), suneate (greaves), and haidate (cuisses).
  The warfare of the Sengoku period (15th and 16th centuries) required large quantities of armour to be produced for the ever-growing armies of ashigaru. Simple munition armour cuirasses and helmets were mass-produced including tatami armour which could be folded or were collapsible. Tatami armour was made from small rectangular or hexagonal iron plates that were usually connected to each other by chainmail and sewn to a cloth backing.
  In the 16th century the ashigaru were also armed with matchlocks of the type known as tanegashima.  Small banners called sashimono could be worn on their backs during battle for identification.
caption: A plain undecorated tanegashima, this type was used by the ashigaru.
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