小札甲

What is Small Plate Armor (Kozane Yoroi)
 of Samurai Armor

Small Plate Armor (Kozane Yoroi)
This is a type of armor made by connecting over 1,000 small rectangular iron plates called ‘Kozane’. It became mainstream around the late Kofun period, replacing the short armor (Tankou) that was used until the middle of the Kofun period.

It is generally believed that the small plate armor was worn only by those of high status, such as powerful clans, and indeed, many small plate armors have been excavated from large keyhole-shaped mounds.

One drawback of the small plate armor is that its structure makes it prone to disintegration. Therefore, restoration based on actual materials is very difficult, but it is possible to identify which part of the armor each small plate was used for, as the shape differs for each part.

Among the excavated small plate armors, there are types with plain-woven cloth attached to the back of the small plates, suggesting that they were designed to prevent the metal from directly touching the skin or clothing.

See more terms related to samurai armor in this samurai armor glossary

Samurai armor parts explained

Samurai armor history and types