Ō - yoroi The is a prominent example of early Japanese armor worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan . The term " ō - yoroi " means " great armor . " History . " Ō - yoroi " first started to appear in the 10th century during the middle and late Heian period , and came into widespread use in the Genpei War around the 12th century when the call for armor was at its peak . Significant aspects of this armor were designed for cavalry archers . The box shaped " ō - yoroi " was heavy and did not allow as much movement or flexibility as its counterpart the dō - maru , so the armor fell out of favor in the fifteenth century when samurai shifted to mostly infantry tactics . For the most part the " ō - yoroi " was a rich man ' s armor and not used by lower ranking samurai . The armor was mainly worn by the higher ranking samurai on horseback . The lower ranking soldiers had armor that was similar to the " ō - yoroi " , but had fewer components , was lighter , and lacked the decorative markings of the higher ranking samurai . Most of the information known about the " ō - yoroi " is based on the armor of the higher - ranking officials since the armor was either donated to a shrine as an offering or maintained by the descendants of the original wearer . Many of the original components of the " ō - yoroi " still in existence have been replaced over time due to the items being lost or damaged . The few remaining examples of " ō - yoroi " are on display in museums in several different countries . There are also a few examples of " ō - yoroi " in Shinto shrines where they have been maintained and protected for centuries . Components . The basic components of the " ō - yoroi " and other samurai armor are known collectively as the “ hei - no - rokugu ” or simply “ rokugu , ” which means six articles of arms . The six major components are the " dō " ( chest armour ) , " kabuto " ( helmet ) , " mengu " ( facial armour ) , " kote " ( armoured sleeves ) , " sune - ate " ( shin armour ) , and the " hai - date " ( thigh armour ) . The " ō - yoroi " combines plate and scales ( " kozane " ) laced together ( lamellar ) . One specific advance over earlier armors is that the " kozane " of " ō - yoroi " are first laced together and then covered with lacquer , which enhances resistance to corrosion . The " dō " of the " ō - yoroi " is unique from later models because it is composed of two separate parts instead of one piece with an opening on the side or back of the " dō " to allow the samurai to put on the armor . The " ō - yoroi " ( " dō " ) consisted of two parts . One ( the " waidate " ) was a separate defense for the right side and the other part covered the rest of the wearer ' s trunk . The upper part of the " waidate " was solid iron plate covered with leather . The lower part was lamellar . When dressing for battle , the " waidate " was put on before the rest of the " dō " and fastened with cords that tied around the body . The rest of the " dō " was constructed with individual lacquered scales ( " kozane " ) laced together and covered with leather on top . The shoulder straps of the " dō - yoroi " , the " watagami " , were also unique from those on the " dō - maru " . The " watagami " were made of leather with attached metal plates . They were thicker and offered more protection than the straps on the " dō - maru " . The " watagami " of the " dō - maru " were eventually adopted because it was lighter and allowed more flexibility . A four piece box like skirt ( " kusazuri " ) of similar construction to the rest of the armor differentiated the " ō - yoroi " from the other armours of the era , the ( " dō - maru " ) and the ( " haramaki " ) , which usually had seven panels of " kusazuri " . Various supplementary pieces included large ( shield like ) rectangular lamellar shoulder guards ( " ō - sode " ) and a fabric and plate sleeve ( " yugote " ) worn on the left arm when using a bow . A loin protector ( koshi - ate ) was a basic part of the " ō - yoroi " . The " koshi - ate " was later replaced by the " haidate " in the " do - maru " model . The " kabuto " ( helmet ) of the " ō - yoroi " is known as a " hoshi - bachi - kabuto " ( star helmet ) , because of the protruding rivets . This type of " kabuto " first appeared around the 10th century and was constructed with iron plates that are arranged vertically , and radiate from an opening in the top called the , the rivets that connect the plates have large protruding heads ( " o - boshi " ) . Facial armour was worn to protect the samurai ' s face as part of the full " yoroi " . It was composed of iron or lacquered leather . " Mengu " could cover the entire face or only sections of it . There were many different types and styles of " mengu " . Specialized archery gloves were made from deerskin and boots ( " kegutsu or tsuranuki " ) were made of bearskin or sealskin . " Ō - yoroi " weighted around 30 kg or 65 pounds , the metal of choice was iron . Due to the weight of iron , armour makers limited its to the most vital parts of the armor and substituted leather ( " nerigawa " ) for the remainder . One way to lower the weight was by alternating metal and leather " kozane " ( scales ) when constructing the rows of " lamellar " , creating a very strong armor with great flexibility and a more manageable weight . The " ō - yoroi " could take up to 265 days to make , using 2000 " kozane " in its construction . The time , materials and labor meant that an " o - yoroi " was a substantial investment for a samurai . It was a big boxy armor that was designed for use on horseback and was loose fitting . The boxy shape hindered the samurai from using the sword with the free , fluid motion vital in hand to hand combat , hence the use of yari . Clan Identification . The color , design , and material of the lacing identified the clan of the warrior . The clans were also identified by the designs painted on the armor . Many of the clans used symbols as a crest , such as cherry blossoms or depictions of deities . The color and design of lacing the plates together , odoshi , was a system used for identification on the field . There were many different color combinations that identified warriors from a distance . The design and coloring of the lacing also indicated rank . Higher - ranking officials had the plates of their armor laced together tightly , while lower ranking samurai had armor that was laced more loosely . The loosely laced armor was adopted for all ranks of samurai over time to decrease the weight , allow more flexibility , and help ventilate the armor . The loosely laced armor allowed air to flow , keeping the samurai comfortable in hot and cool weather . The loose lacing also allowed the armor to be cleaned and dried out , preventing the armor from rotting . It also reduced the weight of the armor by reducing the amount of water and ice retained on the lacing since it would be dried by the air flow . Once the loose lacing was adopted by all ranks , the lacing of the neck protector was then used to indicate rank . The pattern and number of pairs in the lacing specifically indicated the rank of the wearer . Many of the remaining examples of the ō - yoroi have been re - laced to maintain the original form of the armor . However , some of the remaining ō - yoroi contain sections of the original lacing which impart valuable knowledge of the clan association .