The is one of the traditionally made

Japanese swords A is one of several types of traditionally made swords from Japan. Bronze swords were made as early as the Yayoi period (1,000 BC – 300 AD), though most people generally refer to the curved blades made from the Heian period (794–1185) to the ...

(''

nihontō A is one of several types of traditionally made swords from Japan. Bronze swords were made as early as the Yayoi period (1,000 BC – 300 AD), though most people generally refer to the curved blades made from the Heian period (794–1185) to the ...

'') worn by the

samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...

feudal Japan The first human inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago have been traced to the Paleolithic, around 38–39,000 years ago. The Jōmon period, named after its cord-marked pottery, was followed by the Yayoi period in the first millennium BC whe ...

. Its name refers to the practice of wearing it inserted through one's ''obi'' or sash at one's side, whereas the larger ''

tachi A is a type of sabre-like traditionally made Japanese sword (''nihonto'') worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan. ''Tachi'' and '' uchigatana'' ("''katana''") generally differ in length, degree of curvature, and how they were worn when she ...

'' sword was worn slung from a cord.

History and use

The production of swords in Japan is divided into specific time periods:Transition of kotō, shintō, shinshintō, and gendaitō.
Nagoya Japanese Sword Museum Touken World * ''Jokotō'' (ancient swords, until around AD 900) * ''Kotō'' (old swords from around 900–1596) * ''Shintō'' (new swords 1596–1780) * ''Shinshintō'' (newer swords 1781–1876) * ''Gendaitō'' (modern or contemporary swords 1876–present) The ''wakizashi'' has a blade between in length. ''Wakizashi'' close to the length of a ''

katana A is a Japanese sword characterized by a curved, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands. Developed later than the ''tachi'', it was used by samurai in feudal Japan and worn with the edge fa ...

'' are called ''ō-wakizashi'' and ''wakizashi'' closer to ''

tantō A is a traditionally made Japanese knife () that was worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan. The dates to the Heian period, when it was mainly used as a weapon but evolved in design over the years to become more ornate. were used in tradit ...

'' length are called ''ko-wakizashi''. ''Wakizashi'' are not necessarily just a smaller version of the ''katana''; they could be forged differently and have a different cross-section. Long Sword and Scabbard LACMA AC1999

''Wakizashi'' have been in use as far back as the 15th or 16th century. The ''wakizashi'' was used as a backup or auxiliary sword; it was also used for close quarters fighting, to behead a defeated opponent and sometimes to commit

seppuku , also known as , is a form of Japanese ritualistic suicide by disembowelment. It was originally reserved for samurai in their code of honor, but was also practiced by other Japanese people during the Shōwa era (particularly officers near ...

. The ''wakizashi'' was one of several short swords available for use by samurai including the '' yoroi tōshi'', and the ''chisa-katana''. The term ''wakizashi'' did not originally specify swords of any official blade length and was an abbreviation of ''wakizashi no katana'' ("sword thrust at one's side"); the term was applied to companion swords of all sizes. Wakizashi Soshu Akihiro

During the

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

, the

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...

required samurai to wear ''Katana'' and shorter swords in pairs. These short swords were ''wakizashi'' and ''tanto'', and ''wakizashi'' were mainly selected.''歴史人'' September 2020. pp.42-43. The ''wakizashi'' being worn together with the ''katana'' was the official sign that the wearer was a samurai. When worn together, the pair of swords were called ''

daishō The —"large and small"—is a Japanese term for a matched pair of traditionally made Japanese swords (''nihonto'') worn by the samurai class in feudal Japan. The etymology of the word ''daishō'' becomes apparent when the terms ''daitō'', ...

'', which translates literally as "big-little". Only ''samurai'' could wear the ''daishō'': it represented their social power and personal

honour Honour (Commonwealth English) or honor (American English; American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, see spelling differences) is a quality of a person that is of both social teaching and personal ethos, that manifests itself ...

. During this period, commoners were allowed to wear one legal-length ''ko-wakizashi'', which made it popular for the general public to wear wakizashi. This was common when traveling because of the risk of encountering bandits. ''Wakizashi'' were worn on the left side, secured to the waist sash ('' Uwa-obi or himo''). It was not until the Edo period in 1638 when the rulers of Japan tried to regulate the types of swords and the social strata which were allowed to wear them that the lengths of ''katana'' and ''wakizashi'' were officially set. Kanzan Satō, in his book titled ''The Japanese Sword'', notes that there did not seem to be any particular need for the ''wakizashi'' and suggests that the ''wakizashi'' may have become more popular than the ''tantō'' because it was more suited for indoor fighting. He mentions the custom of leaving the ''katana'' at the door of a castle or palace when entering, while continuing to wear the ''wakizashi'' inside.''The Japanese sword'', Kanzan Satō, Kodansha International, 1983 P.68
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Gallery

References

External links

Richard Stein's Japanese sword guide

Wakizashi Japanese Sword
() {{Swords by region Japanese sword types Samurai swords Samurai weapons and equipment

History and use

Gallery

See also

References

External links