A samurai warrior must not only be strong mentally and physically, but also look beautiful. That's why his clothes are a special outfit that was chosen carefully.
Samurai casual wear
The appearance of the samurai was different, based on the situation. For example, for daily wear, clothes were used, consisting of 3 main elements:
kimono: shoulder robe;
hakama: belt element;
haori: a cape that had the same straight cut as a kimono.
All these parts of clothing were made in dark or black.
Khakami were worn over the kimono. These are trousers of a special cut, which were very similar to wide trousers. At the same time, these pants were sewn in different lengths. The length of the product depended on the status of the samurai. For example, ordinary samurai wore short khakami pants, but upper-class warriors wore elongated khakami. The pants were so long that they dragged across the floor.
In military campaigns, so that long clothes do not interfere, they were tucked into the belt or greaves.
And the final touch - haori: put on a kimono and khakami on top. Haori were sewn from dark fabrics, and were decorated with a white bow in front. A distinctive feature of such clothes was a special cut: a small cut at the bottom of the back.
Thus, khaki, complete with haori, created the composition of the solemn attire of a samurai warrior.
Formal samurai costume
When a samurai attended an important event, his outfit had a different look. So over the “haori-hakama” a tight cape without sleeves was put on. An important feature of such a cape was well-starched shoulders of large sizes. Such a cape was referred to as a "kataginu". The hakama and katagina formed the samurai's formal dress for a special occasion.
Samurai headdress
In many drawings, samurai are depicted without headdresses. However, when visiting the palace of the feudal lord, the samurai without fail put on a hat. In everyday life, many samurai wore cone-shaped straw hats. Such a hat completely covered the face of the samurai, and thus the warrior remained unrecognizable in public places.
The samurai also used the amigaso straw hat, which had the appearance of a low wide cone and a small window in front. It was through this window that the samurai could see others.
The original form was the headdress of the members of the so-called Komuso brotherhood. It was a closed fraternity of itinerant monks, where samurai were also accepted. The headdress of the members of this brotherhood resembled a beehive.
The straw hat is not the only accessory that the samurai used in their daily lives. For example, an important accessory was a wide umbrella made of bamboo and oiled paper. The umbrella was used during bad weather or active sun.
Samurai shoes
What did the samurai wear? Classic shoes are straw sandals with leather soles. They were called - setta.
In heavy rains, other shoes were used - geta: wooden sandals.
Such shoes differed in the height of the socle supports. In addition to these shoes, shields with cords were attached, which served as protection for the toes from dirt.
A very important point: all types of shoes were equipped with special straps and combined with special cut-out socks.
Family crest on samurai clothes
Particular attention was paid to the family coat of arms - kamon. For every samurai, the family coat of arms was a very expensive and significant symbol. He emphasized the lineage of a warrior and was passed down from generation to generation along with the name. Many coats of arms had ancient origins: some of them went back to the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC.
Such a symbol was applied to the upper kimono, which was worn on the lower white. This element was applied in five places: on the chest and back (front and back), between the shoulders, and also on the sleeves. However, it is not uncommon for outerwear to be completely decorated with family coats of arms. For this decor, a special paint was used. In the future, the family coat of arms was applied to other accessories of the samurai.
Regarding the appearance of the coat of arms, it was based on different life stories. It could be celestial bodies or stars, representatives of flora and fauna, various geometric shapes, elements of culture. Each element was endowed with a special magical power. After all, the coat of arms was supposed not only to emphasize the status of the samurai, but also to be his kind of talisman.
See also
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Nagoya Castle
Nagoya Castle, originally built by the Owari Domain in 1612 during the Edo period, stands on the site of an earlier Oda clan castle from the Sengoku period. It became the centerpiece of Nagoya-juku, a significant castle town on the Minoji road, which connected two major Edo Five Routes: the Tokaido and the Nakasendo. In 1930, ownership of the castle was transferred to the city by the Imperial Household Ministry, establishing it as the focal point of modern Nagoya. Although partially destroyed in the Pacific War in 1945, the castle has undergone continuous restoration and preservation efforts since 1957.
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Matsushiro Castle
Matsushiro Castle, originally known as Kaizu Castle, is located in what was once Matsushiro town, now part of Nagano City. The site is recognized as a National Historic Site of Japan. Situated on the northern Shinano flatlands between the Chikuma River and a former riverbed that serves as a natural outer moat to the north, the castle and its surrounding town were prone to flooding due to their location.
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Fushimi Castle
Fushimi Castle, also known as Momoyama Castle or Fushimi-Momoyama Castle, is located in Fushimi Ward, Kyoto. Originally built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi between 1592 and 1594 as his retirement residence, the castle was destroyed by the 1596 Keichō–Fushimi earthquake and later rebuilt. However, it was demolished again in 1623, and its site now houses the tomb of Emperor Meiji. A replica of the castle was constructed nearby in 1964.
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Odawara Castle
Odawara Castle, located in the city of Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, is a reconstructed historical site with roots dating back to the Kamakura period (1185–1333). The current donjon (main keep) was rebuilt using reinforced concrete in 1960 on the stone foundation of the original structure, which was dismantled between 1870 and 1872 during the Meiji Restoration.
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Shinpu Castle
Shinpu Castle was a Japanese hirayama-style fortress from the Sengoku period, situated in what is now Nirasaki, Yamanashi Prefecture. It served as the main stronghold of warlord Takeda Katsuyori. Designated as a National Historic Site in 1973, the castle occupies a strategic position on a mountain with steep cliffs, overlooking the Kamanashi River to the west of Kofu, where Takeda Shingen’s Tsutsujigasaki Castle once stood.
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Takato Castle
Takato Castle, located in the city of Ina in southern Nagano Prefecture, Japan, was a notable stronghold during the Sengoku period. By the end of the Edo period, it was the residence of a cadet branch of the Naito clan, the daimyo of the Takato Domain. Also known as Kabuto Castle, it was originally constructed in the 16th century and is now mostly in ruins.
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Takatenjin Castle
Takatenjin Castle was a yamashiro-style fortress from Japan's Sengoku period, situated in the Kamihijikata and Shimohijikata districts of Kakegawa, Shizuoka Prefecture. Designated a National Historic Site in 1975, with an expanded protected area in 2007, its ruins remain a significant historical landmark.
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Yoshida Castle
Yoshida Castle is renowned worldwide, particularly through the intricate woodblock prints by Edo Period artist Hiroshige. His famous series, depicting the 53 stages of the Tokaido—the historic route between Kyoto and Edo (modern-day Tokyo)—includes the 34th print, which shows workmen repairing a castle overlooking a wooden bridge crossing a wide river. This scene captures the Toyokawa River at Toyohashi in southeast Aichi Prefecture, and the castle is Yoshida Castle.
