Tokyo  - Sexy samurai underwear is the latest trendy present Japanese women want to buy for their partners, the news agency Kyodo reported.

The underwear is designed to look like the armour used by samurai warriors in the Middle Ages and is selling faster than companies like Rogin Inc can supply it - despite a price tag of almost 100 dollars.

The trend was triggered by samurai films on television as well as computer games with particularly cool-looking samurai heroes. (dpa)