Artillery of Japan

Primitive cannons seem to have appeared in Japan around 1270, as simple metal tubes invented in China and called Teppō (鉄砲 Lit.

These cannons consisted of a heavy barrel mounted on a swivel and were loaded from the breech, with powder and shot inserted through a separate cylinder with a handle.

The early European models were referred to as ishibiya (石火矢) or furankihō (フランキ砲), the latter likely influenced by the Chinese name, folangji (佛郎機).

The Ōtomo clan gained a clear advantage with the introduction of cannons, promptly employing them for coastal defense by 1558.

The Imperial Japanese Navy enjoyed a spectacular development, allowing for the implementation of ever-larger artillery pieces.