At the Battle of Sekigahara in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, the unification of Japan under Tokugawa Ieyasu saw the widespread use of tatami armor by ashigaru (foot soldiers). This innovative, lightweight protection consisted of small, bullet-resistant rectangular iron or leather plates quilted directly onto a heavy fabric backing, connected by fine chainmail mesh. Because it could fold flat for compact storage and transport, tatami armor allowed the rapid deployment of thousands of protected arquebusiers.

The massive, decisive clash at Sekigahara ushered in the peace of the Edo Period, transforming the samurai from active combatants into bureaucratic administrators. This historic shift redirected martial energy into art, directly fostering the development of short-form haiku poetry by masters like Matsuo Bashō.