Tatami (Japanese armour) the other related parts of a full suit of Japanese armour. Collapsible head protection such as "" and other collapsible armor are also "tatami" armor; a traditional kabuto could also be part of a tatami gusoku. Tatami armour was lightweight, portable, convenient for transportation, and they were manufactured inexpensively for the ashigaru light infantry. Tatami armours were worn by all samurai classes from the highest class to the lowest class. The higher class samurai wore elaborate armour while the lower class samurai and retainers wore simpler versions. In his book "Arms and Armor of the Samurai: The History of Weaponry
Armour early Japanese lamellar armours took the form of a sleeveless jacket, leggings and a helmet. Armour did not always cover all of the body; sometimes no more than a helmet and leg plates were worn. The rest of the body was generally protected by means of a large shield. Examples of armies equipping their troops in this fashion were the Aztecs (13th to 15th century CE). In East Asia many types of armour were commonly used at different times by various cultures, including scale armour, lamellar armour, laminar armour, plated mail, mail, plate armour and brigandine. Around the dynastic Tang,