Were shields ever widely used in Japanese combat? If not, why not?

by DelJorge

The title really says it all. I can't recall ever seeing a depiction of a Japanese samurai or ashigaru warrior using a shield in popular media or historical sources. Were they ever used? And if not, why not? It would seem like common sense against arrows, which feudal Japanese armies seemed to make extensive use of.

OldWorldGlory

You might be interested in some threads from the FAQ section on "Ninjas, Samurai, and related errata":