One of the two armours made by Iwai Yosaemon of Nara, The Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu’s personal armourer.

It was given to Captain John Saris in 1613 by Tokugawa Ieyasu’s son, Tokugawa Hidetada who was then Shogun, as part of a gift for King James I of England.

• The arms and armour of Japan are very important in the collections of the Royal Armouries.

• This very first Asian armour to enter the collection was this Japanese armour – one of the armours presented in 1613 to King James I by Shogun Tokugawa Hidetada, son of Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu.

• The armour pictured is displayed at the Tower of London, where it has been on show since at least 1660. The armour was restored and re-laced in 1972.

• On display at Leeds is another armour made for James I in 1610, AL 27.II