Where are the shields?

[The Black Ship]

Why is it that shields don't appear to have very been popular in Japanese Warfare? Considering the weaponry involved it seems only natural that someone would want to parry! Now I'm not restricting this to the Sengoku period...so don't say it's due to firearms.

[Tachikaze]

We had a nice little discussion about this topic on the AoK Heaven website.

My contribution was to examine the weapons they used. The bow was very important to early samurai warriors. Obviously, that precluded using shields. There were no ashigaru.

These same samurai used lances on horseback, again not easy to use while wielding a shield.

Even the katana is really a two-handed weapon. The naginata made shield use pretty tough, too.

As an alternative to the shield, samurai armor was designed to "catch" arrows at the shoulders and hips. Many art pieces show arrows jutting from samurai armor in every which way. So, perhaps it worked.

Shields were used to cover archers on the battlefield. These shields were mounted on the ground or held by an assistant. I've seen them in contemporary artwork.

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A murky puddle becomes clear when it is still.

[The Black Ship]

I've seen the pin-cushion artwork too...always thought it was for dramatic effect though http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/wink.gif Now in my opinion the Yari armed men could easily wield a shield, after all the Macedonian phalanx wielded the sarissa...at least as long as a Yari spear.

I've seen the shields you mention, though I'd describe them as more mobile cover.

I don't know...I've often wondered why a weapon isn't multi-cultural...what precluded it's use and development, makes for fun speculation http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif

[solypsist]

that topic has already been discussed in depth here: http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/Forum3/HTML/000055.html

[ShaiHulud]

Heck, Why didn't they use the wheel?

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Wind fells blossoms, rain
fells steel,yet bamboo bends and drinks

[The Black Ship]

Soly...Well I made you post didn't I http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/wink.gif

[Minagawa Daimon]

the reason why they dont use wheels is because only high-rankin daimyos and the emperors family could use it...everyone else must walk or ride horses, the reason for this is that japan has lots of rain and using wheels ruin the roadworks, thus only the high and mighty are able to use them,everyone else must literally and figuratively "bow down".

[Anssi Hakkinen]

Actually, even the horses were restricted to the samurai class. And even the samurai could technically ride only during wartime, which was in short supply in the Edo period.

Thus, the Imperial family made their yearly pilgrimage to the temples in a carriage... pulled by goats. http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/biggrin.gif It's true!

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"Go to the battlefield firmly confident of victory, and you will come home with no wounds whatever. Engage in combat fully determined to die and you will be alive; wish to survive in the battle and you will surely meet death."
- Uesugi Kenshin