Inuyasha

is the title character and one of the main protagonists of the Inuyasha series.

Description
Born from a dog demon father dubbed Inu No Taisho and a human mother named Izayoi, Inuyasha is a Hanyō who initially wanted to use the powers of the Shikon Jewel or Shikon no Tama to become a full Yōkai. After falling deeply in love with Kikyo (and her with him), the Miko who guarded the jewel, he changed his mind and wanted to become human so he could live with her, but Naraku manipulated both of them into believing they have been betrayed by one another. Kikyo had been fatally wounded, but before she died, she shot an arrow through Inuyasha's chest to pin him to the sacred tree, also called the tree of ages.

Inuyasha remained in suspended animation for fifty years until Kagome Higurashi, Kikyo's reincarnation, pulled out the arrow and freed him. The Shikon Jewel being shattered, Inuyasha and Kagome travel together to retrieve its shards. Initially wary of Kagome's resemblance to Kikyo, Inuyasha and her develop a complicated friendship and eventually fall in love as he did with her past life, Kikyo, (however, he still loves Kikyo and is devastated when she dies). He also forms strong friendships with the other companions they gain. His sword, Tetsusaiga, was made from one of his father's fangs (and later incorporates one of Inuyasha's fangs as well); its full power could not be unleashed until he learned how to trust in himself and his father's fang; thereby unleashing all of the Tetsaiga's power. Tetsusaiga's sheath has a barrier that protects its bearer from almost any attack, and can repel or reverse many attacks made against the bearer.

Story
The plot line of the series of Inuyasha can be summarized in a capsulation of the first episode "Kagome, your average teenage schoolgirl, is happily leading a normal life in contemporary Japan. But on her 15th birthday, a mysterious centipede demon emerges from an ancient well on her family’s property and drags her back through the well to the world of feudal Japan."

In Feudal Japan, she meets our Hero, Inuyasha (犬夜叉) apparently asleep, pinned to a tree through the shoulder by a Hamaya or sacred arrow.

Author Rumiko Takahashi stated in an interview that Inuyasha is an akita inu. According to Ms. Takahashi's official Zusetsutaizen Ougikaiden character databook, Inuyasha's age in human years is unknown but his appearance and general behavior are "equivalent" to a human 15-year-old at the start of the series. However, the movie canon suggests an actual age of 203 human years since the Sou'unga (Sounga) was sealed two hundred years prior to the feudal era period. Inuyasha was shown to be born at that time, and he was sealed away for fifty years, providing 253 - 50 = 203 years. The pattern of InuYasha's aging is similar to that of Indo-European mythological creatures such as the Fay, Faerie, Elves, or Tuatha De Danaan (various spirits, sprites, etc); aging far more slowly than humans, even to the point of appearing immortal.

Intent on becoming stronger, Inuyasha originally intended to use the Shikon no Tama (Jewel of Four Souls, also known as the Shikon Jewel) to change from a half-yokai to a full Youkai. To acquire this jewel, he would have to steal it from Kikyo, the Shinto priestess tasked with purifying and protecting the jewel. After several unsuccessful attempts to even approach Kikyo, Inuyasha began to develop feelings for her. Their subsequent encounters lead to a close relationship, and they both consented to the idea of making InuYasha a full human.

Another hanyou, (formerly a human known only as Onigumo, but now called Naraku) had been observing them, hoping to steal the Shikon no Tama for himself. He subsequently tricked them into betraying one another; in Inuyasha's case he took on the form of Kikyo, and attacked Inuyasha. Because of Naraku's schemes, and their own lack of faith in each other, their relationship ended when Inuyasha broke into Kikyo's village and stole the Shikon Jewel. In defense of the village, and to keep him from escaping with the jewel, Kikyo shot Inuyasha with a Hamaya (sacred arrow), sealing him to a tree in an eternal enchanted sleep. Moments afterward, Kikyo collapses from a wound she received from Naraku -- though at first the viewer is lead to believe that Inuyasha wounded her -- and she dies within a few short moments. Part of her final instructions to her sister Kaede was to have the jewel burned with her body so that Yokai and evil men could never use it.

50 years later, Inuyasha was released from the tree by Kagome Higurashi, a young girl from the present (present being 1997)who unknowingly carried the Shikon no Tama inside her body. Initially, Inuyasha mistook Kagome for Kikyo, due to their similar appearances. Inuyasha was subsequently freed by Kagome, in order to help fight off an attacking demon. After killing the demon, Inuyasha attempted to steal the jewel again, but was thwarted by Kaede, now an old woman, who put an enchanted prayer bead necklace around him, which allowed Kagome to subdue him simply by saying the word "sit". Being unable to remove the necklace, he was effectively in Kagome's power, and subsequently unable to obtain the jewel. Kagome accidentally shattered the jewel while shooting at a demon trying to flee with it, and the shards were scattered around Japan. Inuyasha, Kagome, and their friends (Inuyasha-tachi) then began the search for the shards of the Shikon no Tama.

Inuyasha is offended when someone calls him a dog or suggests that he is inferior to full Yōkai. His arrogance and hostility can readily be explained by his upbringing. We know that he was raised from his birth by his human mother in her father's court. He was ostracized and rejected by all humans except his mother and she died while he was still a very young child. All we know from that time until his meeting with Kikyo is that he was rejected by his brother Sesshomarou, the Youkai world (since he is a half-blood), and the Humans alike. All that he knows of his father is what he has been told by his mother and others such as Old Myoga the Flea. All that he has from his mother are the Robe of the Fire Rat and his memories. All that he has from his father are his Youkai blood and the Tessaiga.

Knowing this, we surmise that Inuyasha was on his own from an early age. His "bad attitude", foul language, (such as swearing in the manga, and occasionally in the anime, and calling his elders (in human equivalence, -baba or -jiji which translates as old hag/witch or old geezer respectively.) and extreme self-confidence are comparable to that of an orphaned teenage street punk who has been forced to fend for himself from the age of perhaps 6 or 7 (human equivalence). While there is much speculation amongst fans that perhaps Sesshomaru had some hand in Inuyasha's upbringing after his mother's death, there is no support for this theory in canon.

With the incredible strength and healing powers inherited from his Yokai father and his Fire Rat robe, Inuyasha would be able to survive hostile encounters with humans. Encounters with other demons might be another matter. Thus his desire to "become stronger".

His only weakness is that a hanyo loses its power during a certain time period each month; Inuyasha's time is the night of a new moon (when he was born and also when the moon is not visible). His hair turns black and he loses his superhuman strength, speed and defensive abilities, as well as his dog ears, claws, fangs, etc. In this form, basically all of his Yōkai powers are gone and he turns human; however, he returns to normal at dawn. He prefers to keep it a secret because on that night he is vulnerable, and only his group and a few others know his secret, and protect it wisely, but even this does not stop some as Naraku and Sesshomaru.

Physical Abilities

 * Strength: Inuyasha's yokai blood gives him superhuman strength. No upper limit has yet been shown in the canon, but, according to the Zusetsutaizen Ougikaiden official character data book, he is at least "strong enough to easily lift a boulder - with a diameter greater than the height of his body - over his head with one hand." He has also been shown to be able to uproot trees and break through walls and fortress gates, and has a punch feared by yokai many times his size. Inuyasha has also shown the ability to be able to throw enemies hundreds of times his size; he did so in "Nursing Battle of the Rival Lover" by throwing a mountain-sized green ogre. In the battle against the Noh mask in the manga, he is shown to be able to punch through solid steel, as he did while destroying the mask. Similarly, in later manga chapters, he accidentally deformed Kagome's bike with his hands while attempting to fix it.


 * Speed: InuYasha's speed has been shown to easily exceed that of a normal horse; Faster than any normal land or water animal, but not as fast as Entei the yokai horse that served as Hakudoshi's steed. Due to the momentum he can accumulate in his runs, added with his incredible strength, he is able to cross great distances with a single jump, sometimes creating the illusion that he is flying. The Ougikaiden says he can reach the top of tall cliffs with a single leap as well. As seen in the movie canon, Inuyasha can move fast enough that he appears to regular humans as nothing more than a brief and indistinct red blur and can apparently move fast enough to run over water.


 * Stamina: InuYasha's stamina likewise far exceeds human standards, possibly derived from the fact that his yokai blood is that of a dog, dogs naturally having great stamina. He is shown to be able to run vast distances at extreme speeds with minimal effort, and is often seen complaining about how his comparatively weaker human companions always slow him down by needing to rest so much every day. He is also able to endure a great deal of physical pain, as was once demonstrated in an early battle with his brother Sesshomaru, when he continued to fight even after being impaled in the stomach. Although he does not like getting hit any more then anyone else does, he sometimes uses, as he puts it, the ability "to take a punch" in order to wait for an opening that he can most effectively strike back to win a fight.


 * Defensive Ability: While his fire-rat robe provides additional protection, a power afforded to anyone wearing it (such as whenever InuYasha gives his robe to Kagome for protection), InuYasha's physique is capable of taking a lot of damage, more than the average human, or even most yōkai. He appears unaffected by severe blunt force trauma, able to withstand a direct blow from a wooden log that broke on contact, and unfazed by the tremendous impact of being thrown hard enough to shatter solid rock. He also possesses tremendous resistance to sharp weapons, able to withstand attacks that slice through trees. While he can be injured by more powerful yōkai and holy weapons, he appears invulnerable to most human ones, able to catch normal arrows out of the air and break steel swords with his bare hands. Even without his fire-rat robe, he has shown the ability to withstand direct contact with fire and tremendous heat, as well as corrosive substances like acid.


 * Regeneration: When injured, InuYasha heals far more rapidly than a human, so much so that attacks powerful enough to severely injure him are rarely, if ever, fatal, as they would be to humans if they sustained an equivalent injury. For example, when Totosai had to yank out one of InuYasha's canines to repair Tessaiga, he mentioned that InuYasha would grow a replacement in one day. He has also recovered quickly from numerous serious injuries, including a large fist-sized hole punched through his gut. Similarly, it seems that his internal physiology is significantly different from a normal human's, considering that he has been able to get up and fight despite having suffered injuries that should have resulted in his spine being severed, heart shredded and lungs destroyed had he been built anything like a human - occasionally all at the same time.


 * Senses: InuYasha's senses are highly developed, and in some ways, appear to be super-canine rather than superhuman. His senses of hearing and smell are quite likely his most powerful — he is shown to be able to hear what people are whispering from great distances, as was the case when, while perched on a tree, he overheard Akitoki Hojo hiding in a bush and quietly praising Kagome under his breath. His ability to hear is sometimes used for comic relief, as when he overhears Shippo whispering insults about him to Kagome. Likewise, his sense of smell is shown to be extremely sensitive - he can smell hints of blood from kilometers away and can detect the presence of people by smell long before they can be seen. The downside to this is that he can be taken down by strong scents. This is also sometimes used for comical purposes, such as in the episode "The Cursed Ink of the Hell-Painter" where he could be temporarily knocked out by the strong smell of black ink. His nose is also his method of detecting yoki, and thus he uses it in several of his techniques, such as locating the Kaze no Kizu (before he was able to throw it at will, of course), finding youketsu to slash and, recently, using the scent of the outside world to pierce Sesshomaru's final Meido. He has been also able to catch a whiff of Naraku's power from many miles away as soon as he lets down his barrier, with at least as much accuracy as Koga, despite the latter being a full yokai. On the other hand, his sense of smell seems to be notably inferior to that of Sesshomaru. Since the sense of smell is also linked to taste, somewhat spicy curry is unbearably hot to him.


 * Can See Demonic Vortexes: While receiving training to wield the dragon scaled Tessaiga he fought countless demons without the use of Tesseiga as he sucked up demonic energy he became stronger; as a result, he gained this ability. It allows Inuyasha to strike a a vortex of energy from an opponent and release it which causes enemies pain. Moryomaru was immune to this because the infant held his power.

Techniques

 * Iron-Reaver Soul-Stealer (Sankon Tessō): InuYasha's basic melee attack, which channels his yokai powers through his claws, and is powerful enough to tear apart iron, making it easy for him to rip his enemies in half. Interestingly, despite being InuYasha's most rudimentary yokai-powered attack, it is still very powerful, as demonstrated when he quickly disposed of the Mistress Centipede, who just attained possession of the Shikon Jewel from Kagome Higurashi.


 * Blades of Blood (Hijin Ketsusō): InuYasha's blood, when combined with "Sankon Tessō", does damage when thrown. The blood is charged from Sankon Tessō and acts as the carrier for the yokai energy. With this attack, he is able to attack his enemies from afar instead of in close combat. When InuYasha has been cut or slashed, he splashes his own or other's blood on the end of his claws and flings them like multiple shuriken comprising of red-colored yokai energy to cleave his foes in two.


 * Time Travel: This technique basically involves InuYasha jumping down the Bone Eater's Well and traveling back and forth 500 years to and from the future. How this is done has not been explained and is one of the series' most talked about plot-holes. In episode 4 among others, InuYasha traveled to Kagome's time without the aid of a jewel shard. Others besides Kagome and InuYasha have been unable to travel through the well. Specifically, in one episode, Shippo attempts to go through the well but fails. In episode 11, Sota (Kagome's younger brother) attempts to go down the well to call InuYasha for help, and after a while InuYasha comes through the well to help (though for some reason, in episode 4, Yura was able to send her hair through the well; possibly because Yura'a hair was tied to Kagome and Kagome brought it with her through the well).

Sword Techniques

 * Tessaiga (Tetsusaiga): (lit. Iron Crushing Fang) A special sword made by swordsmith Totosai created the Tessaiga from a fang of the daiyokai the Great Dog Demon, the father of InuYasha and Sesshomaru. The Tessaiga will only transform if the user cares for humans and has yoki, this means that humans can never wield it because they do not possess yoki.
 * Katana Form
 * Anti-demon barrier: InuYasha and Sesshomaru's father put a protective aura (barrier) which makes full yōkai unable to touch it. (There have been times where demons have picked it up like Shippo who holded Tessaiga and received no punishment from it's barrier. It is possible that it can also be held be those the Tessaiga trusts.)
 * Human Shield: The Tessaiga protects humans holding it from harm.
 * True Form
 * Kenatsu: This is the special ablitiy that allows the Tessaiga to cut opponents without touching them surrouding the blade in youki. InuYasha forgoes uses this ablitiy once he learns the Kaze no Kizu.
 * Wind Scar (Kaze no Kizu): A special attack that can kill 100 yokai with one strike, and does not need to connect with the opponent(s)to hit.
 * Backlash Wave (Bakuryūha): Tessaiga's ōgi (or ultimate technique). Uses the opponent's own strong youki and the Kaze no Kizu (Wind Scar) to return the attack, magnified hundreds of times. Sometimes mistranslated to Dragon Twister (seen in the Inuyasha: a Feudal Fairytale Playstation game's English Version)
 * Red Tessaiga
 * Barrier Shattering: Gained from Shiori's orb for saving her from her grandfather and his bat yōkai, this technique renders barriers (including Naraku's for a while) useless. When being used, Tessaiga glows red. Only the strongest (or most holy) barriers cannot be shattered by this attack.
 * Diamond Tessaiga
 * Adamant Barrage (Kongōsōha, 金剛槍破): (lit. Diamond Shard Blast) Attack gained from Housenki after Naraku had used the shard to make him fight Inuyasha. Able to pierce Naraku's stronger barriers; referred to as "Adamant Barrage" in the English version.
 * Dragon Scaled Tessaiga:
 * Yoki Absorption: This technique was gained after breaking the youkai sword Datsuki, which could absorb an opponent's youki. When being used allows Tessaiga to absorb the youki of it's enemy.
 * Yoketsu Cutting: After realizing the true nature of the Tessaiga is to cut; InuYasha learns to see yoketsu and uses the Dragon Scale Tessaiga to cut it, instantly destroying a normal yokai. It can also cut the large amount of youki emitting from a strong youkai, which can be fatal.
 * Black Tessaiga
 * Meido Zangetsuha: This technique creates a path to hell by creating a giant circle that can suck anyone in it's path, though it can also be used to escape from a Meidou one is already in, as well as entering/exiting pocket dimensions as was seen at the end of InuYasha and Sesshoumaru's final battle for Tessaiga. Also, it allowed Shippo and Kohaku to enter Naraku's final form.
 * Cutting Meidou Zangetsuha: The new Meidou Zangetsuha can create a single black blade or several black blades that not only cut a opponent but have their remains sucked up into the path, thus the technique keeps the original ability intact while adding the Tessaiga's cutting nature.
 * Sheath of Tessaiga (Tessaiga no Saya): Can deflect energy attacks with the barrier used to contain Tessaiga's power. The sheath also possesses the power to recall the Tetsusaiga.

Transformations

 * Human: Like all hanyō, InuYasha turns completely human once a month. During the new moon his hair turns black, and he loses his supernatural powers, speed and defensive abilities as well as his demonic characteristics, such as his dog ears, claws, fangs, amber eyes and so on. In this form InuYasha can only use Tetsusaiga in its rusty form. Only InuYasha's friends and a few others know his secret as InuYasha tries to stay hidden during the new moon. He returns to his regular form when the sun comes out — he regains all of his powers: claws, fangs, strength, speed, and defensive abilities.


 * Yōkai: InuYasha's yōkai blood takes over anytime his life is in danger and the Tetsusaiga is out of reach. InuYasha first transformed when Naraku's detachment, Goshinki, broke the Tetsusaiga with its fangs. When transformed (pictured right), the sclera of InuYasha's eyes turn red, while his iris dissapear and his pupils become slit, much like that of a real dog.. Stripes appear on the sides of his face, and his fangs and claws lengthen. Once transformed, he gains a massive boost in all of his physical abilities, such as strength and durability, and becomes impervious to pain. He cannot, however, distinguish between friend and foe. If left in this state, InuYasha will continue killing until he is killed. Myōga reveals the reason InuYasha's father had the Tetsusaiga forged was to prevent his son's yōkai blood from taking him over since his hanyō mind cannot functionally handle the power he inherited from his father without being overwhelmed. In the more recent chapters on the manga, InuYasha reverted to his yōkai state once again while fighting a mirror yōkai. He did not lose control and fall into an altered state like he has in prior situations, because his yōki flowed into the Tetsusaiga, that was stripped of its power at the time. In chapter 503, Sesshomaru launched his Meidou Zangetsuha attack directly at InuYasha who was currently in his yōkai form, engulfing him in the Meidou's vortex. While trapped inside the Meidou, InuYasha's yōkai power (youketsu) continued to increase, overwhelming the Meidou, causing it to erode. In recent chapters, InuYasha has unwillingly reverted into his yōkai state due to being exposed to the corrupted Shikon no tama's miasmic aura, and briefly attacks Kagome. He appears to return to his senses a few minutes later, but quickly reverts again due to Naraku's taunts. Eventually he completely reverts back after the jewel is purified as a result of Magatsuhi's destruction.


 * Purified: While trapped in the Stone Ogre's belly, InuYasha used a shard of the Jewel of the Four Souls to strengthen Tetsusaiga's power, an effort which backfired when the impure powers of the shard flowed through Tetsusaiga, causing InuYasha to transform. Kagome, seeing InuYasha's predicament, ran to him and her embrace purified the shard, leaving InuYasha in a purified version of his yōkai form. In this form, he retained some of the aspects of his yōkai form, such as the purple stripes on his face and the black patch under his eyes, but his eyes remained clear and he retained his sanity instead of being subject to the berserker rage which ordinarily characterizes his yōkai form. His yōki was increased exponentially, allowing him to utilize the Tetsusaiga's Adamant Barrage (fused with the Wind Scar) with an intensity far superior to previous usage. After the shard was removed from the Tetsusaiga, InuYasha reverted to his normal hanyō self.

Outfit
One aspect of Rumiko Takahashi's work is the considerable amount of historically correct detail. Inuyasha is set during the "Warring States " period, which is "Pre-Edo", or Muromachi, and Ms. Takahashi has mentioned in interviews that Inuyasha's clothing was based on standard "priest's garb" of the era. Here we can assume she refers to Shinto Priests, as at that time there were Shinto priests, Zen priests, and Buddhist priests among others. (Miroku is typical of the wandering Buddhist priests, while Kagome's grandfather and Kikyo are typical of the Shinto Shrine priest/priestesses.)

Inuyasha's red garments are made of the legendary "Fire-Rat (Hinezumi) Fur" which is said to be fireproof. The historical reference can be found in the ancient Japanese folk tale "Taketori Monogatari", or "The Bamboo Cutter's Tale".

From canon, we read "hinezumi no ke de otta koromo da, heta na yoroi yori tsuyoi ze" (火鼠の毛で織った衣だ、下手な鎧より強いぜ. ); the literal translation is: "It's clothes woven from fire rat's fur, stronger than poor armor." These claims are substantiated in numerous incidents throughout canon.

We can see that Inuyasha's garments are a jacket with "separated" sleeves, kosode (shirt), hakama (pants) bloused at the ankles and obi (belt).

Hakama
Inuysha's hakama, quite likely the Sashinuki style. Hakama of that era were often made leaving the crotch seam hemmed, but unclosed. This allowed one to accommodate the necessary bodily functions without the need to disrobe entirely. Other styles of hakama had a fly created by overlapping seams. Modern hakama, especially those used in the martial arts, are usually sewn shut.

During the Sengoku period, a style of hakama developed to mimick the ballooning trousers seen upon the visiting Portuguese sailors. The hem of the hakama was cut narrower than the body, and ended in a sewn cuff to provide the balooning effect. The style continued into the Edo period, as Karusan-Bakama.

The Sashinuki hakama are a more formal somewhat larger style, often worn by court nobles Heian era. They are as much as 1.5 to 2 times the length of "normal" Hakama, and comprised of 6 panels as opposed to the "low class" four-panel hakama. This amount of fabric allows them to blouse voluminously over the leg, and is then secured about the ankle by a cord run through the hem. This, then becomes another subclass of hakama: the kukuri- (tied).

Suikan/Hitoe
By the two decorative cords and the hitatare sleeve cords went through a hidden seam. Since his jacket is tucked into the pants, and his white shirt clearly shows through the slits, perhaps it is a modified hitoe. However due to the length seen in several manga episodes, it may be more correctly a kariginu.

Other discussions point to the similarity between Inuyasha's jacket and the archaic kariginu, a samurai's hunting jacket commonly worn by court nobles. Jaken's jacket, while similar, is clearly a jo-e - we can see the differences in that Jaken's jo-e is neither tucked into the hakama, ( is is a belted over-garment) nor is it sewn shut along the sides.

According to sengokudaimyo.com the description of the hitoe corresponds quite closely to the appearance of Inuyasha's robe. It is an unlined robe, two panels wide. The back is arranged in a double fold like a large dart to accomodate the extra fabric. The color is traditionally a red-orange, although thay have been found in a pale green.

The sleeves are "separate" from the body (so the body is almost vestlike), and held on at the bottom. This feature allows the white shirt worn underneath to be seen clearly (Jaken's jacket has the same feature). When worn, the seam will separate somewhat at the top showing the white shirt beneath.
 * Sleeves

When worn, the sleeves appear to "bell" -- that is they are much wider at the wrist than at the shoulder. However it is clearly seen as early as manga vol 2, scroll 1 (Yura's Web) his jacket was hung to dry, that the sleaves appeared square. In another, vol 7 scroll 9 (When we are Two), Inuyasha was reclined upon his jacket showing clearly that the sleeves were square cut and the length was much longer than hitoe. Thus it may be more correctly a Kariginu.

The sleeves have the ribbon or cord sewn through the hem, at the wrist called sode-kukuri. This can serve at least two purposes: it would allow the sleeve to be gathered at the wrist (like the hakama at the ankle) and it is often used to gather the material for easy folding for storage.

The shoulders of the jacket body are wider than the wearer (deliberately) so that the shoulder of the jacket "hangs" past the wearers shoulders. This appears to be a fashion feature, as it is also repeated in the garments worn by Jaken, Kikyo, Kaede, and Kagome's grandfather.
 * Shoulders

The hitoe is shorter than a kimono, and is tucked into the hakama. It is so short in fact that the white shirt (Kosode) shows through the side Hakama slits instead of the jacket. The Jacket has a narrow collar, and a diagonal Front, closing left over right. It and is held shut with tied strips, like a Karate Gi top.
 * Hitoe Erratta

The jacket appears to be "too large" so that a fold of cloth is seen absolutely horizontal, about sternum height.

There is a black cord across the chest from the right shoulder to the left hip, tied in a simple bow. It is not a sword cord, but appears to be holding the excess fold of the jacket in place.

Kosode
Kosode (literally: "little sleeve") were originally worn as underwear but by the Kamakura era, became accepted outer layer garments; more dressy with less sculpted sleeves. Kosode of the Heian and Kamakura Periods were always white. Inuyasha's kosode would be very much like a modern Kendo or Naginata Keikogi, with the sleeve fitting somewhat closely like a modern loose shirt, and extending to slightly past the wrist.

The slits in the side of the hakama show the white kosode, and the openings at the sleeves and shoulders of the suikan (jacket) show it as well. This is a deliberate fashion effect.

Obi
The belt appears to be a standard obi: a wide, stout cotton or silk belt about 12 to 15 feet long, and about 4 to 6 inches in width. It is often made of six or more folds or layers of cotton cloth heavily stitched together. The obi is worn over the top of other garments (except for the kimono, long vest, or outer coats) and is the belt through which the sword sheath (saya) is thrust.

Order of Dressing
Generally, the kosode is put on first, then the suikan, then the hakama. Both the shirt and jacket have two or more (sometimes internal) ties for holding it closed, just like a Karate Gi. In all cases, the garments are overlapped "left over right" as viewed by the wearer.

"To wear a kimono, wrap the right side of the kimono over the body, then overlap it with the left side. Right on top of the left is only used to dress a corpse for burial."

The hakama has a separate front and back, with a two ties attached to each, resulting in 4 belts to attempt to handle. Inuyasha's hakama appears to be the style which does not have a "back board", as is found on modern martial arts hakama, and Kagome's grandfather's hakama.

In the martial arts, the small board of the hakama is centered at the small of ones back, not higher. This is to position the obi correctly just over the hips so the sword is "low" in the sash making drawing the sword much easier.

However, we can see that Inuyasha wears his obi and his hakama much higher up around his waist, nearly to his ribs.

The hakama knots should be simple and flat for comfort. They will be covered by the obi. The obi knot is usually square and tight.

Inuyasha's obi knot is more of a slightly floppy bow knot.

Regarding color, while the manga started with an interesting "pink" color, the bright red is the accepted color now.

Accoutrements

 * The "Kotodama no Nenju" (necklace of subjugation) is introduced in the very first manga as a spritual device to control InuYasha. It was first created by Kikiyo and she meant to give it to him as a present, and had thought of a command she felt was appropriate: "beloved". After he gave her his mother's rouge, however, she changed her mind and told him she had forgotten his gift. Her sister Kaede would later activate it, originally intending to keep Inuyasha from killing or hurting Kagome. He is unable to remove it. It consists of a number of round beads (estimated at between 42 and 49 in number) and between seven and ten magatama (comma shaped) beads which are often mistaken as claws. The magatama is an ancient comma-shaped bead imbude with great spiritual and mystial powers. These beads have been found as far back as the Jomon period (jo-mon-jidai, about 10,000 BC to 300 BC).
 * This singular necklace is more a comic relief, making a small joke with the command "sit!" (osuwari in the original version) and the fact InuYasha is part dog demon. This tends to bring to mind that the necklace is an obedience collar and InuYasha the unruly dog. In this case, Kagome says "sit!" and he must 'obey', the necklace yanking him down by the neck and head-first into the ground; many times (and to Inuyasha's bad luck) he is up a tree or any other high place. Even if his head is already on the ground, repeating the command is no less painful for him, with his face throwing up chunks of soil from the force. It appears that it was prepared to recieve any comand and adapted to this one, Kagome being reminded of InuYasha's dog ears. She would sometimes even say sit in her sleep by accident.
 * Side note: The most famous Magatama are the Yasakani no Magatama - one of The Three Sacred Treasures of the Founding of Japan. Clearly the influence of the sacred sword, Magatama, and Mirror can be seen in the Inuyasha story line as similar but lesser items are used by various characters ...


 * Saya (sword sheath): The Tessaiga's sheath is made of wood from a sacred tree which is not only strong enough to contain the Tessaiga's energy, but can ward off attacks. It is so powerful that when Tetsaiga/Tessaiga is sheathed, sparks of yellow light fly off it. The saya does not have a sageo (sword cord).


 * Tsuba: The Tessaiga does have a traditional golden-bronze tsuba (guard) but we never are shown any detail. There is considerable discussion over the guard after transformation - whether it is flame or strong fur such as Sesshoumaru's "boa."


 * Tsuka: The tsuka (grip) is wrapped with ratty tsuka-ito (grip-ribbon) in a simple X fashion rather than the traditional more complicated weaving.

Lastly, we see that Inuyasha wears his sword either edge-upward or edge-downward indiscriminately -- he doesn't seem to care either way (which fits his personality). Traditionally the katana is worn edge-up for quickest draw. The archaic Tachi (war sword) is worn edge-down, the sheath suspended from rings attached to a sword belt which is typically incorporated into the samurai's armor.