Sōhei (Fighting Monk) of Kamakura period, Military Costumes in Old Japan (1895). Photographed by Kazumasa Ogawa, circa 19th century, Sōhei, before 1895

(discription from the original photograph) a fighting monk. The above represents a beligerent monk of the kamakura epoch. The buddhists of those days had quite an army of fighting priests to protect their rights, or maintain their ground against rival creeds. He wears his clerical robes over his armor, and his head is covered with the sacred kesa. From:"military costumes in old japan", photographed by k. Ogawa, under the direction of chitora kawasaki of ko-yu-kai (tokyo fine art school), tokyo, k. Ogawa, 1895 (meiji 28). Date: before 1895.