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Japanese Weapons
Top Deadliest Weapons of Samurai
13
Jun
Jun
Deadliest Weapons of the Samurai
During the early 10th century, the Samurai Warriors rose to a noble force in Japan’s provinces. Members of the military class, they used many weapons in a fight, such as bows and arrows and spears. But the preferred and one of the deadliest weapons of Samurai was the sword.
The sword of the Samurai was the extension of their soul. It also symbolizes the real warriors; the weapon was one’s hallmark. Samurai traditionally carried two swords, the long sword (Katana) and the short sword (Wakizashi).
The primary weapon is Katana, while the purpose of Wakizashi was to support the Samurai if Katana was unavailable.
There are different types of Japanese weapons; Katana, Wakizashi, and Yumi are just a few. But while they are mostly known for their swords, they have a number of cool weapons too that you may have not heard of. So without further ado, here are the deadliest weapons of the Samurai:
Katana: The Extension of Samurai’s soul
Samurai warriors are dependent on their Katana. The component that was used to create this Japanese Samurai sword was “Tamahagane” or a special kind of steel. Katana has a very sharp edge that can cut anything easier than the usual sword. The blade of this weapon is also curvy.
Katana has three elements: the artistic beauty as a piece of craftsmanship; the power to split the body into two; and the accuracy to split a tiny thing.
Wakizashi: The Auxiliary Sword
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The Wakizashi was the little companion of the Samurai Katana. When paired together, the set is called “Daisho”. When these two weapons are carried, it is a great honor for a real Samurai as these two symbolize their honor, glory and success.
However, it is a shameful act if they draw or use these two swords at the same time on a battlefield. For them, if you are truly a great warrior, Katana is enough and no need to use another sword just to kill their enemies.
For them, if you draw a Wakizashi in combat while using a Katana, then you are already considered as a failure. Therefore, Wakizashi ought to be the last resort when one’s Katana becomes unavailable.
Yumi: The Classic Weapon of Samurai
The traditional and also one of the deadliest weapons of Samurai is the Yumi, or most commonly known as the arrow and bow.
Before the Portuguese introduced gunpowder in the land of the rising sun, Japanese warriors used bows and arrows as their primary weapon. They used it for hunting their food. Warriors also used it to practice their skills, to challenge someone and to invade territories.
However, everything changed when Oda Nobunaga opened Japan to Westerners’ product like guns.
Tanegashima: Matchlock Guns
When Oda Nobunaga opened the country for new opportunities, one of the products that Japan imported was the firearms or the use of powdered guns.
During the Sengoku period, Nobunaga started to manufacture guns to be able to empower his armies against his enemies.
Ashigaru or the foot soldiers used Tanegashima as their weapon. When this matchlock guns came into Japan, it became viral. Many Vassal lords manufactured the guns for their armies immediately.
The first appearance of this weapon can be traced way back Sengoku period (1543-1600). However, since this weapon is powered with powder, it was vulnerable to rain. So whenever there was rain, warriors cannot use it.
Kiseru: The Silent Killer
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This weapon was just a typical smoking pipe that belongs to high-ranking officials before it became a weapon. The pipe has two parts: the wood part that is the body; and the iron part, which is the end of the pipe.
Most of Kiseru has engravings by artisans that symbolize the status of the owner. A little more year later, Samurai improvised it and used as a weapon by putting poison in the tobacco.
Chigiriki
The style of this weapon came from the agricultural tool named flail. This weapon has two versions: the wood and the iron with a chain. The origin and the size of this tool are unknown, and the use of this weapon is to capture an opponent by just swinging its metal chain.
Kama: The improvised farming tool
At first, Kama was just a farming tool. It was widely used not only in Japan but also in other countries in Asia like the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Farmers have discovered that this equipment can be more useful when they change it as a weapon. So, they improvised it and made it as an armament.
Kusarigama: The Sickle with Chains
The Kusarigama was the second version of the Kama or the sickle. This origin of this weapon can be traced as early as the Muromachi period. This weapon looks like a total sickle.
The only difference is that this has weighted chains at the end of the handle. This weapon has no specific length or size, but the usual length of the weighted chain is about 1000-4000 mm.
At first, this weapon belongs to ancient Samurai, but as time goes by, Ninja copied the style of it and later on used it as their weapon.
Samurai and Ninja used this by just swinging the weighted chain to be able to capture their enemies.
Kanzashi: The Deadly Hairpin
The Kanzashi was a traditional hairpin belonging to Japanese models ancient years ago. The hairpin was about 6 inches long with a Kanzashi (flower) design on the end of the pin.
At first, it was just an accessory for women, and then Kanzashi became a multipurpose weapon. This weapon belonged to females to defend themselves from anyone who has any intention to hurt them.
Kusari-Fundo
Kusari-fundo was one of the infamous weapons of the Japanese warriors. The weapon has two parts: the chain or the Kusari; and the weight or the Fundo. Kusari-Fundo can be traced back as early as the Nanbokucho in 1336-1392.
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The first part, which is the Kusari, has a length of about 12 inches to 48 inches. The second part, which is the Fundo, has many different sizes and shapes. But the most usual weight of it was 56 grams to 112 grams.
The purpose of Kusari-Fundo was to counter the long swords like Yari and Spears. So, whenever a Samurai has an enemy who uses long weapons, they will just swing it to block the opponent.
If you were given a chance to be a Samurai ancient years ago, what is the first one among the deadliest weapons of Samurai you would choose?