SW038 Ashigaru Arquebusier Sitting Ready’ (Eastern Army)

Ashigaru muskets, also known as ‘Tanegashima’, were matchlock weapons first introduced into Japan by Portuguese traders in 1543.
Requiring far less training than traditional archery this allowed Samurai warlords to train large numbers of Ashigaru.  Soon, Japanese warfare itself dramatically changed from single combat in battle to massed formations moving and fighting across the landscape.