The armor worn by the Tsuruga Yama float samurai dolls is authentic armor that can actually be worn by real people, with many of these articles made during the Edo period.

Ancient Japanese armor was made by layering hundreds of small plates made of steel or leather, then connecting them together with thread. The samurai class preferred heavily colored armor, but the armor worn by the dolls in these floats often features gold or vermillion lacquer and vibrantly colored thread to give them a more dazzling appearance. Many repairs were also made to these suits of armor for decorative purposes, with parts from other armor used, as well as other decorations made later on that were added to them. Some new suits of armor were also made based on old armor.

The horse tack worn by the horses features authentically made materials. In particular, the set of horse tack passed down in Higashimachi is especially resplendent with its gorgeous decorations.

The dolls used for the Tsuruga Yama floats are life-sized, perhaps so they can use authentic armor. In other regions, some floats, as the highlight of the festival, have large dolls mounted on them, but the use of exceptional and authentic dolls as decorations could be seen as a sign of the care put into the floats by the townspeople of Tsuruga.