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Japanese Weapons
7 Lethal Weapons of Samurai
22
Jul
Jul
Samurai Lethal Weapons
When we talk about Japanese history, the word “Samurai” always pops out – not to mention the Samurai lethal weapons. But do we really know who these warriors were? How were they able to make a name in Japanese history?
Whenever we imagine a Samurai, don’t we easily associate the sword with them? In fact, it’s hard to imagine one without a sword. For them, a sword isn’t just a weapon; in fact, Katana is a mark of a true Samurai.
This article is for those who simply want to expand their knowledge in Japanese weapons. This should give you quick information about the fantastic swords used!
But more than that, this article will tell you why their swords and bows are more than just weapons to them.
Top 1 – Katana: The Soul of a True Samurai
During face-to-face battles, Samurai have always used Katana. It’s their main weapon. Katana is a traditionally made sword with a very sharp edge that can cut into almost anything.
Katana’s length is 60 centimeters or 23 ½ inches and has a curved blade. To be able to create this piece of sword, the swordsmiths before used specific steel called “Tamahagane”.
Katana’s first appearance can be traced way back Kamakura Period (1185-1333). As time passed, Katana became the symbol of the Samurai warrior and has been referred to as the extension of the soul of a Samurai.
Top 2 – Wakizashi: The “Little” Companion of Samurai
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Wakizashi is a Samurai’s weapon next to Katana. Wakizashi is a one-handed sword that has a length that is almost similar to Katana.
In fact, Wakizashi looks like a Katana, but a shorter version of it. The length of the Wakizashi is between 30 to 60 cm and 12 to 24 inches.
Centuries ago, whenever a warrior wears these two Samurai lethal weapons at the same time, people would easily identify them as a Samurai.
Wearing a Katana and Wakizashi together became the signature of a true Samurai. These pair of swords became one and was called Daisho.
Wakizashi’s first appearance can be traced back as early as 15th or 16th century. Wakizashi was the backup weapon of Samurai since Samurai have always been engaged in close battle combat. It is also used whenever a Katana isn’t available.
Aside from using it to behead their enemies, Samurai also used it to commit suicide – an honorable act – whenever their enemies caught them or they lost in a battle.
Top 3 – Naginata: The “Woman’s Spear”
Among Japanese swords, Naginata is the most iconic, since women who were in an upper-class position commonly use this sword.
There were two kinds of Naginata. The O-Naginata or the weapon that originally belonged to the warrior monks; and the Ko-Naginata, which belongs to female warriors. The Ko-Naginata is a shorter version.
There were two parts of Naginata: the wooden part, which is the body, and the metallic part, which is the removable blade. The size of its blade is almost similar to Wakizashi, which is 30cm to 60cm long.
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Top 4 – Tanto: The “Short Sword”
Tanto is basically a Japanese knife. It’s a stabbing weapon with a blade that has no specific length since there were a lot of swordsmiths during that time.
Tanto’s first appearance can be traced as early as the Heian Period. Tanto can be a single or double-edged blade.
Whenever Wakizashi is unavailable, Samurai used this weapon as a substitute. One instance is when committing Seppuku or ritual suicide.
Tanto has a smaller version called Kaiken. It belongs to women in order to defend themselves.
Top 5 – Yari: The Trident of Ancient Japan
Yari is a Nihonto blade that has different sizes. However, the usual size of it was three feet. It’s just like Naginata, but a longer version of it with a T or U shape in the blade.
It was the Ashigaru or the foot soldiers who commonly used Yari; since mounted soldiers will have a hard time if they use this Samurai lethal weapon while riding a horse.
The first appearance of this sword can be traced as early as the Nara period (710-794). Some historians say that the Japanese copied the idea of the “Yari” with the Chinese “Hoko Yari”.
Top 6 – Yumi: The Earliest Weapon of Samurai
It is a hoax that Samurai only used swords whenever they were on a battlefield. Even before, the first Samurai used bows and arrows as their primary weapon.
The Japanese term “Yumi” means bow. There are different kinds of Japanese bows; the first one is the longer bow and the second one, the shorter bow.
The first bow, which is the longer one, originally belonged to the earliest people in Japan. According to historians, the very first bows were taller than the archer itself.
Then on the latter year, they created a shorter version for the mounted soldiers. However, even though the size of the weapon changed, the style or techniques are still the same.
Top 7- Odachi: The Great Sword
Another one of the most epic Samurai lethal weapons was the Odachi. Odachi means a large sword or a field sword. Some historians say that this weapon’s style came from the Chinese weapon named “Miao Dao”.
According to research, there was no fixed size of this sword since there were a lot of swordsmiths ancient times ago. At first, the main purpose of this weapon was to be a display in an offering shrine.
Whenever there was a ritual or ceremony, you can see an Odachi in an altar. The elders also used this weapon in prayers whenever their soldiers or loved ones go to fight in a war.
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To top it off, there were seven known Samurai lethal weapons used before. These are Katana, Wakizashi, Naginata, Tanto, Yari, Yumi and Odachi.
Some of these Samurai lethal weapons are not purposely created as weapons but were later on enhanced and made as a weapon. An example is the Yumi or the bow, which was originally used for hunting animals for the early people’s food.
Another example would be the Odachi. This weapon was originally used as an offering or as a design in a shrine. This was originally created for rituals and ceremonies.
The weapons like Katana, Wakizashi, Naginata, Tanto, and Yari though, were purposely designed as Samurai lethal weapons.