Mar 4, 2010 · "Kusari gusoku" is the Japanese name for a suit of chain armor with the individual pieces having their own names such as "kusari katabira" for chain jacket, "kusari zukin" for chain hood, "kusari tabi" for chain socks, "kusari kote" for chain gloves, "kusari haidate" for chain thigh guards, "kusari suneate" for chain shin guards etc.

The last picture is a sample of how kusari was sometimes hidden within a garment, which is a good example of how the So gusari pattern was used for the inner layer of an entire jacket. The kusari inside this jacket covers over 95% of the jacket and until recently it was almost unheard of using this pattern for an entire jacket.

Japanese chain armor, also known as kusari gusoku, samurai chain mail armor, ninja armor,ninja chain mail, is different than traditional Japanese or samurai armor and has nothing to do with ninjas despite the word "ninja" being used on occasion to describe this type of armored clothing.