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Geoff.
2nd November 2001, 03:42
Greetings,

What was/is the full attire of the samurai? Casual and Battle attire. Thanks.

Blackthorne
5th November 2001, 04:34
Mr. Cunningham,
While looking over your site, I ran over the fact about wearing hakama only with hakama-shita. Would one still wear a haori with the hakama-shita, even though they are about the same length?

Mr. Armentrout,
If you go to Japan-Shop (http://www.japan-shop.com) and click on the clothes link, you can find several store selling Japanese clothing.

Best Wishes,

Jeff Hamacher
5th November 2001, 05:46
Originally posted by Blackthorne
While looking over your site, I ran over the fact about wearing hakama only with hakama-shita. Would one still wear a haori with the hakama-shita, even though they are about the same length?
my experience wearing kimono tells me that it's perfectly acceptable to wear a hakama over a kimono as opposed to a hakamashita ('matter o' fact, until i read your site's blurb, Don, i didn't know that the thing was called a hakamashita; thanks for the info!). as you put on various layers of a kimono you hold them in place with cords tied about waist or hip level; the trick is tucking the hem of the kimono into the outmost cord or the obi if you prefer. bear in mind that this approach works best with the formal type of hakama which is not split, i.e. in essence, a skirt. i don't know if this same game would work with the "trouser-style" hakama, either a formal one with a short inseam or the type we all know from martial arts training with a tall inseam.

cheers, jdh

Don Cunningham
6th November 2001, 16:26
A haori is a sort of overcoat. The cut and style of a haori is much different than a kimono. The hakama-shita is just basically a short kimono for wearing with hakama, but you can still wear a kimono with hakama. The hakama-shita is a modern adaptation of kimono to make it easier to move, etc., when worn with hakama. A hoari can still be worn over the entire hakama and either kimono or hakama-shita. You wouldn't wear a hoari tucked into a hakama like a kimono, though. I hope this clears everything up.

JonnyBGoode
7th June 2006, 05:34
I can't speak for battle attire... but I dressed as a samurai for a local renaissance faire (yea I know, it's not renaissance garb... I told everyone I was a traveller from the east haha) and went into a lot of detail to get the look as right as possible, studying old photographs and period recreations.

The samurai would wear an under-garment very similar to what is worn by judo martial artists today; a white kimino-style wrap and white leggings. Over this he would wear a band called a haramaki, or belly warmer. Then over that he would wear his kimono. One thing I learned was that a kimono is always wrapped with the left side over the right. (Wrapping it the other way signifies death, this is how the Japanese are buried.)

Over that, he would wear the hakama (pants). I noticed in my research that ancient hakama were somewhat different than what you would see in the store today; it seems the obi sash passed through the hakama to hold it up, rather than the hakama having separate ties for it. Samurai tied their obi in front (rather than the customary rear tie), with a tight bow, and occasionally some of the obi hanging down from the bow underneath.

When travelling, the bottom of the hakama would be secured to the shins with kyahan (a shin-wrap); then the samurai would wear tabi socks called waraji-kake and waraji, straw sandals that were tied about the ankles. Otherwise they would usually wear geta sandals. A samurai would often wear a tekko (a sort of a grieve) on the fore-arm.

Over the top of the kimono, in non-formal occasions they would wear a hoari; in formal occasions, they would wear a larger overcoat called a kamishimo, which had wide, pointed, stiff collars that jutted out on either side.

The attire was completed by the obligatori katana and wakazachi; the wakazachi placed in the obi across the belly, the katana placed in the obi along the side, both blade upward. It was important that the katana did not stick out to the side... for bumping one's katana saya (scabbard) into another samurai's saya was considered an insult requiring an immediate apology. It was also standard to have an iron battle fan called a tessen stuffed in your obi in front.

Finally, they would often wear a small box called an inro or medicine case, which hung from the obi by a cord from a small "button" called a netsuke. They could also wear a kasa (cone-shaped straw hat), and/or wear a tenugui or hachimaki headband.


Anyone more familiar with samurai lore, please feel free to correct anything I've said here.
_______________________
John Wilson

Brian Owens
7th June 2006, 07:04
...The samurai would wear an under-garment very similar to what is worn by judo martial artists today; a white kimino-style wrap and white leggings.
I think the white undergarent would have been a juban, a lightweight under-kimono, rather than something as heavy as a judogi.


...a larger overcoat called a kamishimo, which had wide, pointed, stiff collars that jutted out on either side.
I believe the term kamishimo ("upper & lower" in Japanese) refers to the combination, usually in matching material, of a kataginu and a hakama, rather than to the upper garment itself. The kataginu wasn't so much an overcoat, being open at the sides, but the equivalent of today's vest or waistcoat.

http://www.shop-japan.co.jp/shop/image/kamishimo-9682.jpg


...The attire was completed by the obligatori katana and wakazachi...
Wakizashi.

Depending on the time period, it might be a tachi with or without a tanto or uchigatana, rather than the Daisho (katana and wakizashi) common to the Edo period.


...I noticed in my research that ancient hakama were somewhat different than what you would see in the store today; it seems the obi sash passed through the hakama to hold it up, rather than the hakama having separate ties for it.
That's very interesting. I had never heard that.

Do you have a book reference or Web site address from where you got some of your information? I'm always looking for reference material to add to my list.

Do you have any pictures of yourself dressed in your garb that you'd be willing to post?

John Lovato
7th June 2006, 15:17
Also the obi knot was worn in the back, not in the front.

JonnyBGoode
7th June 2006, 18:06
Also the obi knot was worn in the back, not in the front.
It is today... but all the old photos of samurais I could find from the Meiji period, and period recreations from the earlier Edo period (such as the miniseries Shogun) showed the knot in front. Although the miniseries took "some" minor liberties with Japanese attire (for instance, they dressed Ichido's men in grey and Toronaga's men in brown, so that the viewer would know who was who), they did an excellent job otherwise in recreating the time period. And it was on that show that I first noticed the difference in the hakama. If you watch closely you can see the obis passing through the back side of the hakama, then coming around in front and tied in a very tight bow.

... Unless I am confusing the knot of the hakama tie with the obi... which could be... :p

I'll see if I can get a screenshot and post it here.


I think the white undergarent would have been a juban, a lightweight under-kimono, rather than something as heavy as a judogi.
I am sure you are correct, the judogi if I recall correctly is a descendant of the older undergarment.


I believe the term kamishimo ("upper & lower" in Japanese) refers to the combination, usually in matching material, of a kataginu and a hakama, rather than to the upper garment itself. The kataginu wasn't so much an overcoat, being open at the sides, but the equivalent of today's vest or waistcoat.
Correct again.


Wakizashi.

Depending on the time period, it might be a tachi with or without a tanto or uchigatana, rather than the Daisho (katana and wakizashi) common to the Edo period.
Thanks for correcting my spelling, haha... its hard enough spelling japanese words without being dyslexic too, lol.


Do you have a book reference or Web site address from where you got some of your information? I'm always looking for reference material to add to my list.

Do you have any pictures of yourself dressed in your garb that you'd be willing to post?
I'll try to find a picture. As far as reference material, I was browsing everything I could find in libraries and on the 'Net, but didn't keep track... :(

What really honored me was a couple of Japanese people wanted their photos taken with me... and an elderly Japanese man stopped, smiled and gave me a very low bow as he passed. That made it all worthwhile. :)

John Lovato
7th June 2006, 20:18
Yeah, you are confusing the knot of the hakama with the obi knot. After the kaku obi is tied the obi is turned so the knot is in the back. Then the hakama straps are tied over the obi, the final knot being tied in the front.

JonnyBGoode
9th June 2006, 04:31
Found a pic from the faire.

http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/8234/10009443gg.jpg

I'm modifying the costume quite a bit for a pirate fair to make it a japanese pirate (wokou)... not even going to be historically accurate, but it'll be fun. :)

Baio
9th June 2006, 16:10
this would be the place to go to learn about samurai clothing sengoku daimyo (http://www.sengokudaimyo.com/garb/garb.html) japanese pirates are actually wAko and used ridiculously long swords from what soke hatsumi has said

JonnyBGoode
9th June 2006, 21:26
I like how they show the different parts of each uniform on that site. Very informative, thanks!

So... this:

http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/4432/sash3mn.jpg

... isn't the obi? Always thought it was. Learn something new every day, I guess...


Re. the pirates: Wokou would be the chinese pronunciation, wako is the Japanese. Can't get a bigger sword at this date... but that costume isn't going to be historical at any rate, it's just for fun lol.

Where did you find the info on the sword, btw? I've not seen that - though it doesn't surprise me any. A lot of being a pirate is the theatrics, striking fear into your victims; I suspect they carried large swords for the same reason Blackbeard put burning embers in his beard before battle.

____________________
John Wilson

John Lovato
9th June 2006, 21:38
Yep, those are not the obi. Sometimes the hakama straps were white as in the case of the picures you have shown.

Brian Owens
9th June 2006, 22:32
...Sometimes the hakama straps were white as in the case of the picures you have shown.
Yep. In fact, the site linked to by Baio describes an example:

Hakama worn with hitatare and suô (especially as kamishimo) had white waist ties. Hakama worn with suô had ties of the same cloth as the hakama.

http://www.sengokudaimyo.com/garb/graphics/garbphotos/hakama1L.jpg

John Lovato
10th June 2006, 00:01
Yeah, I have a couple with white straps, but not as fancy.

Brian Owens
10th June 2006, 03:32
Yeah, I have a couple with white straps, but not as fancy.
Cool. Were they custom made, or did you get them from a regular source (and if so, is it one available to us in the USA)?

John Lovato
10th June 2006, 03:59
One is an old one the other two are old silk ones that I had the straps changed.

JonnyBGoode
13th June 2006, 03:53
The Pirate costume is almost finished... I've changed my direction on it to more like a "what would a Caribbean pirate wear if he had been plundering in the south China sea for a while..." It's looking pretty interesting, I'll post a photo once it's complete if anyone wishes to see it.

Back on the original topic: There seem to be two different styles of kataginu, looking at the pictures: One with oversized collars and small frontpieces (the photo Brian Owens posted), and another where the frontpiece and collar are the same width (in the photo collage I posted). Or are the ones in the collage hoari variants?

EDIT: Nevermind, I found my own answer, on the "Men's Garments" page of the site that Baio referenced.


Originally, the front was flat, but a crease in each panel to allow more freedom of movement led to the development in the Edo period of a kataginu with a “narrower” panel size. This would result in a narrow panel with multifolded shoulder wings, which is the pattern of kataginu most commonly seen in samurai dramas of that period.
____________________
John Wilson

Brian Owens
13th June 2006, 04:36
..."what would a Caribbean pirate wear if he had been plundering in the south China sea for a while..."
For some really good ideas in that direction, rent, borrow, or beg a copy of Swiss Family Robinson -- the Walt Disney, 1958 version.

Sessue Hayakawa's pirate captain, Kuala, is not to be missed. He may have had an Acadamy Award nomination for his role in The Bridge on the River Kwai, but it is Swiss Family Robinson in which I always think of him.

JonnyBGoode
14th June 2006, 21:28
This guy?

http://img399.imageshack.us/img399/9675/kuala8la.jpg

Mostly the look I'm going for... except I only have black hakamas and a white happi coat with dragons on it. Nice red sash to wrap around it though, colorful headband, a leather tekko with double dragons in a yin-yang formation, some tabi boots, earring and other misc. accessories. Should look pretty decent.

____________________
John Wilson

Brian Owens
14th June 2006, 22:06
This guy?
No, that was just one of his minions (who is about to be thrown off the cliff, if I recall).

The "properties" of your photo says "...kuala8la.jpg," but I'm pretty sure (haven't seen the movie in a while, though) that Kuala never got that far up the mountain.

JonnyBGoode
15th June 2006, 02:01
Ok, I remember now... this guy:

http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/9858/sfrpirates2kv.jpg

Well I'm not going to be nearly so elaborate... but it'll be interesting. :)
____________________
John Wilson

Brian Owens
15th June 2006, 04:06
Ok, I remember now... this guy...
That's him!

Where'd you get the image? I tried the IMDB (one of my favorite resources, being that I'm a film buff), but they didn't have any of Hayakawa.

El Guapo-san
15th June 2006, 09:53
Here's a better foto:

http://www.ultimatedisney.com/images/q-s/sfr3.jpg

And don't forget to celebrate National Talk Like a Pirate Day.

Josef Vlach

Brian Owens
15th June 2006, 11:14
...And don't forget to celebrate National Talk Like a Pirate Day.
Arrgh! Thems that remembers 'll be the lucky ones!

Brian Owens
15th June 2006, 13:14
Okay; getting back to the original question, asked in November of 2001 and never really answered:


What was/is the full attire of the samurai? Casual and Battle attire.
It would vary depending on the period in question, the season, the situation, the rank of the samurai, etc.

But as one example, a middle-ranking bushi during the late Heian or early Muromachi period might dress for battle thus:

First, a fundoshi (loin-cloth "underwear").
Next a juban (under-kimono), then a kimono.
Next, a hitatare (loose-fitting jacket with wide sleeves, open at the left wrist and tied at the right.
Next, a hakama (divided skirt/trousers). Unlike today, the hakama's "cuffs" would be pulled up to just below the knees and tied there. Then cloth covers (kyahan?) are tied over the lower legs and over the hakama cuffs.
Next, suneate (iron shin guards) are tied in place.

Now it gets interesting.

The left arm is pulled out of the sleeve of the hitatare, and the left sleeve is tucked into the jacket at the waist. That frees the left arm for the use of the yumi (Japanese long bow), the primary weapon at that time.

Next, a single sleeve with iron plates and/or ringmail is pulled over the left arm. I have seen these variously referred to as kote (glove) and sode (sleeve). If anyone knows a more specific or more correct term, I would be indebted to hear from them.

Next, the waidate (right flank protector) is hung under the right arm by a cord over the left shoulder.

Now, the remaining three sides of the oyoroi (main armor) is put on, and the shoulder straps (name?), armpit protectors (kyubi-no-ita & sendan), and shoulder guards (sode) are secured.

One or more belts, cords, or sashes would be tied around the waist for carrying assorted accessories, including knives and/or swords; the ebira (quiver for arrows) would be tied on; and then, lastly, the kabuto (helmet) would be put on.

This only covers major items, and there are many smaller items like gloves, accessories, religious implements, etc. that are highly varied and numerous.

I envite further comments, corrections, and discussions.