This site is a mirror of the Conquest of Emishi site by Suzuta Yukinori.  Not everything that appeared on the original site is included here, however, most of the contents of the original site regarding the conquest is included.  The present site is an attempt to preserve the original site content since the original site is no longer in active status.  Suzuta's maps and content is all original. Syntax corrections in English and minor additions and rewording, and all illustrations are attributable to Kenjiro Hakomori.  If any of this content is used in any way please cite the author Suzuta Yukinori.  If any illustrations are used please cite Kenjiro Hakomori.

 

 

 

Aterui directing the Emishi forces during the battle of  Subuse (or Koromo River in AD 789).  Aterui and his aide de camp are shown in full armor as they may have appeared during the Eighth century. They are wearing Tanko style full armor complete with vambraces and shoulder armor which had not changed appreciably since the latter Kofun period. Tanko was simple but provided effective protection.  Aterui's force was by no means typical (since they had access to more supplies) than other Emishi warriors, most of whom did not wear the full armor which they either did not have or need for most operations.  The riding boots had been introduced from the Central Asian steppes to Japan during the Kofun period along with horse archery.  By this time, armor known as Keiko had already been introduced among the Japanese forces, but this type made of lamellar plates laced together was very expensive and tedious to produce.  It is unclear if any of this type of armor made it into the hands of the Emishi through trade with Japan.  The Emishi warriors judging from the contents of their graves called Ezo-ana kofun wore mostly Tanko.  The aide de camp (right) is shown with a warabite-tou sword.  This type of sword has been found in a number of Ezo-ana kofun and judging from their shape is thought to have influenced the development of the samurai sword.    

 

In one of the episodes of the battle of Subuse a group of approximately four hundred Emishi warriors contests the crossing of the Kitakami river by approximately two thousand Japanese soldiers of the front army crossing east from the west side of the river.  The Emishi force is wearing tanko style armor.  The Japanese Imperial army is wearing keiko armor of the Nara period, mainly breast plates and skirt armor.   There was an overlapping time period during the kofun period when both types of armor were worn. The Emishi had a conservative culture based on a fusion of kofun culture and Jomon culture which survived during a time when that culture had long been superceded in Japan.  Evidence of this is the continuation of tunnel tomb burials in the Emishi controlled areas well into the ninth century AD.  Tanko was very practical armor being much easier to construct than keiko, and as shown in the above illustration, leather tanko was made with reinforced iron.  This suited their type of warfare which included quick strikes and the use of horse archery.  Note also the style of helmets worn, consisting of small plates held together by horizontal bands.  The other type of helmet was a central band of iron at the crest that held together wide horizontal strips. Skirt and neck armor were made of iron bands held together by silk or leather cords.