Japanese Swords 101: A Guide for Both Novices and Enthusiasts

Throughout history, the Japanese sword served as a remarkable weapon used both in duels and on the battlefield. It has a very long history and has continued to evolve in response to historical events and battle tactics of the time. Today, these swords are primarily seen as works of art, and some people even use them in traditional Japanese martial arts.

We rounded up the most popular Japanese swords, as well as a few tips on how and where you can buy them.

Samurai Swords vs. Ninja Swords (H2)

In feudal Japan, both the samurai and ninja clans used swords as weapons. Unlike the samurai, who were more concerned with the quality of their blades, the ninjas paid more attention to methods of quickly drawing their swords. The ninjas usually belonged to the lower classes of Japanese society, so they often had difficulty in obtaining high-quality blades.

• Samurai swords were highly valued and respected and were never used for mundane utilitarian purposes
• Some ninjas used their swords to open a locked door in an enemy sanctuary
• As an extra weapon for protection, ninja swords were used for stabbing enemies rather than slaying them

Unlike the samurai katana sword with a curved blade, ninja swords were generally straight and shorter. The ninjas commonly gathered abandoned swords found on the battlefield and shortened them. As assassins and mercenaries, they needed shorter shorts to keep a more subtle profile. Also, ninja swords were lighter and easier to draw from a scabbard.

1. The most popular of all swords, the Japanese katana sword is known to be the deadly curved sword of the samurai.
2. Katana is a long sword over 60 cm, usually worn with the edge facing up, tucked into the belts of the warrior
3. Less than 30 cm long, the tanto is a very short sword commonly used as a self-defense weapon and a utility knife
4. The josun no tanto, meaning normal-sized tanto, have blades ranging from 24 to 25 cm in length, and mostly without curvature.

The Katana and the Tanto Dagger (H3)

Type	Steel	Description	Handle Material	Series
Maru	Hagane (Hard Steel)	not laminated; poorest method	Bamboo wood	M32203
Honsanmai	Kawagane & Shigane (Medium / Soft Steel)	most common lamination method	Premium wood	H09403
Kobuse	Shigane (Soft Steel)	WW2 period swords	Super wood	K28983
Soshu Kitae	Kawagane & Shigane (Medium / Soft Steel)	seven layers method; used by sword smith, Masumune	Quality wood	SK99239

The most popular of all swords, the Japanese katana sword is known to be the deadly curved sword of the samurai. Like the tachi, it is also curved and single-edged, but it has a shallow curve, which could cut down enemies with a single, lightning-fast strike.

Katana is a long sword over 60 cm, usually worn with the edge facing up, tucked into the belts of the warrior. The sword can be immediately used to make defensive or offensive motions. More than that, it can be drawn from both horseback or on foot, so it became the standard weapon for warriors.

 

Tachi the Long Sword (H4)

The first functional sword of Japanese design, the tachi was a single-edged sword with a curved blade. Unlike the straight and bulky design of older swords, it was designed for slashing rather than thrusting. The tachi is a long sword, more than 60 cm in length, so it was worn with the cutting edge down, and suspended from a belt. The tachi from the Kofun period traditionally featured the phoenix or dragon decoration. It was commonly drawn with one hand, usually from horseback. Since it was a sharp, durable, and effective weapon, it became the blueprint for all swords developed in later times.

 

Odachi, Great Tachi and Nagamaki Swords (H5)

Kodachi literally means small or short tachi, with a length less than 60 cm. It was actually too short to be called a sword, yet it was too long to be considered as a dagger. It is believed that high-ranking officials used kodachifor self-defense when not on the battlefield. Kodachiwas worn just like tachi, with the cutting-edge hanging down from the belt. The martial arts kodachijutsu focuses on the use of kodachi and short swords in general.

 

Wakizashi Shortest Sword of the Swords (H5)

The wakizashi is a short sword, usually between 30 and 60 cm long, and used as a backup of sorts. It became popular during the 16th century when samurai carried two swords through their belt. One of them was the longer katana, and the other was the shorter wakizashi sword. Since the latter had a shorter handle, it was only held in one hand.

While its kiriha-zukuri blade was ideal for thrusting and hacking, the hira-zukuri blade was designed for slicing. Many scholars believe that these two designs were later combined to create the first tachi sword