DEADLY ELEGANCE

As the population grew and competition for food-growing regions intensified, warfare in Japan shifted from a focus on the farming settlements themselves to the overlords ruling them. By fighting each other, Japan’s ruling class could acquire greater access to the production of rice without risking the destruction of those precious lands. Thus, by the Heian period (794-1185), the need to fortify a lord’s manor became common. Over time more and more of these complexes would be relocated into Japan’s highlands.

Initially, Japanese ramparts were constructed of rammed earth topped by a wooden stockade. The walls were augmented by high wooden towers designed to mitigate weak sections or reinforce against likely points of attack. The concept was to create a defence-in-depth within a single strongpoint. Thus, Japanese fortifications featured multiple baileys from the very beginning, each facilitating retreat to the next when breached. At the centre