Haramaki (armour)

Haramaki (腹巻, belly wrap) is a type of chest armour (dō) worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan and their retainers.

Haramaki were originally constructed with the same materials as the ō-yoroi but designed for foot soldiers to use as opposed to the ō-yoroi which was for mounted warfare.^[1] Haramaki refers to any Japanese armour which is put on from the front and then fastened in the back with cords. Other types of dō open from the side (ni-mai dō, dō-maru, maru-dō) instead of opening from the back as the haramaki does.

Modern haramaki are thick cloth undergarments worn around the belly to increase body heat retention during the winter.

• Japanese armour

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Haramaki dou (dō).

• Traditional Haramaki photographs
• Anthony Bryant's web site about construction and history of Japanese armor