Why Japanese Soldiers NEVER Used Shields

In the past, the samurai, who are considered to be warriors, with the rest of the Japanese ones, has earned a distinguished place in the annals of history. Stories of their battle courage, as well as their quality with the sword, and honor have spread to the heart and souls of people living in many countries in the world. But the story of battle of japan is not just about samurai legend, there are more to it Amidst the blood-soaked battlefields of Japan's history, there existed another unsung hero: shedding, though, he was immune to frontline bullets and artillery fire.

The samurai, as image drawn the mind, are usually associated with fast swords and masters martial arts, and barely with a shield. Many makes this mistake, not because of the lack of facts, but simply by misinformation, invented in such cases by modern artists and the attention to only the upper class of warriors. To be honest, shields did not only focus on the battles the way as Europeans, but instead they concentrated in a completely different way.

During the first ages of the Japanese history, the soldiers had tedate or so on called hand-held shields. These defensive canvasses, made of wood or hide, were literally used against the enemy weapon ranges which consisted of the piercing or edged tools. And at the beginning of the samurai warrior period, tedate were inseparable part and accessories of sword and axe that foot soldier used on the battlefield. Similarly to the rules that every culture was treating as strict and possession, in Japan, the use of shields was based on a trait of smashing incoming blows to one side in order not to get injured.

Followed warfare wonders, the tactics and tools being adopted by Japanese soldiers also began to get refined and specialized. In the 12th century samurai of Japan emerged and marked the beginning of an innovative period of fast-paced formations and mounted combat. Among all these aspects either recognized or forgotten, the archetypal figure of the samurai, kata and armor being the barometer, has over the times turned to be an emblematic of Japanese warfare. As the society comprised of different groups of warriors, the shields cannot be omitted from mentioning just for the samurai.

On the contrary, warriors valued for their speed and mobility whereas the peasants with spears fighting shield would specialize in a portable shelter. Among the warriors array of protective items, the jingasa, a conical hat that secretly concealed protection, was used by the soldiers. The armor could be molded from a variety of materials like leather or iron, that would viciously deflect blows meant to strike the head along with full mobility of the soldier.

Another new defensive tactic developed by Japanese is the tate, a shield that people can hold to hold steady. The tate is usually a shield made of iron. Contrary to using picket sides for hand held shields, tate are stationed remaining upright, offering the resistance of arrows to the soldiers within it. Having such design, the archers on the wall were able to protect themselves from the enemy bullets when they aimed from behind the wall. This prop could also be folded to pack tightly and when unfolded and hung on a fortification, it would prevent enemies from penetrating through.

However, the shì decisively followed into obscurity as samurais moved from the times of arrows and bows to the age of firearms. With gunpowder, bullets were born and changed the balance of combat, which meant that the shields that were once used to cover the hand were no longer needed. On the other hand, despite shields’ diminishing effectiveness, they were still of much necessity among foot soldiers as they offered cover against enemy bullets.

In summary, the history of the shields during the Japanese warfare demonstrates inappropriateness of myths and exhibits diversity of tactics and tools used on the battlefront. If any image of Japanese warriors comes to your mind, it is likely that it will be the mythical samurai that to some extend seem to dominate history. This is so, however, simply because these are more easily remembered. The sticks of the foot soldiers, the lance wheel, and the wooden shield were among the inseparable tools for these soldiers who went through battles fighting for their survival.