This samurai helmet is real, it’s made in Japan ... I think it’s really cool," Verlander said.

At ceramic manufacturer Chugai Toen Co. here, shipments are reaching their annual peak for samurai dolls and decorative helmets that are typically displayed in households for the holiday.

and have all been influenced by a traditional kabuto — the helmet worn by Japanese samurai — called the Shougeki Maru, an original art piece commissioned by Casio for the series. Like previous ...