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(Schiller, Guido)
(Schiller, Guido)
Another thing we have to consider when fixing a date for a Japanese sword is the '''Eto'''. Eto originally is a Chinese calender invented in the ancient period. It consists of ten ordinal signs and twelve zodiacal symbols and the combination of both characters makes a cycle of sixty years, the '''[[Sexegenary cycle]]'''. In Japan the Eto was used not only to count time by years but also to show time by hours (In this case one day is divided into twelve fractions.) and direction. Dates based on Eto can often be seen on the '''Nakago''' of the Japanese sword.
A third, very important thing to know about the japanese sword is the way the schools were placed along the eight main roads of ancient japan.
A third, very important thing to know about the japanese sword is the way
the schools were placed along the eight main roads of ancient japan.
In Japan there was a division of the local administration called '''Go Kinai''' Shichi Do. Go Ki consists of the capital Kyo (Yamashiro) and four neighbouring provinces. Shichi Do means the provinces along the seven main roads spreading throughout the country.
In Japan there was a division of the local administration called '''Go Kinai''' Shichi Do. Go Ki consists of the capital Kyo (Yamashiro) and four neighbouring provinces. Shichi Do means the provinces along the seven main roads spreading throughout the country.
There are eight provinces in the Sanyo Do, eight provinces in the San-in Do, six provinces in the Nankai Do, fifteen provinces in the Tokai Do, thirteen provinces in the Tosan Do, seven provinces in the [[Hokuriku|Hokuriku Do]] and nine provinces with two islands in the Saikai Do.
There are eight provinces in the Sanyo Do, eight provinces in the San-in Do, six provinces in the Nankai Do, fifteen provinces in the Tokai Do, thirteen provinces in the Tosan Do, seven provinces in the [[Hokuriku|Hokuriku Do]] and nine provinces with two islands in the Saikai Do.
*Echigo (Niigata), Sado (Niigata).
*Echigo (Niigata), Sado (Niigata).
*Saikai Do: Chikuzen (Fukuoka), Chikugo (Fukuoka), Buzen (Fukuoka and Oh¬ita), Bungo (Fukuoka and Oh-ita), Hizen (Saga and Nagasaki), Higo (Kumamoto), Hiyuga (Miyazaki), Ohsumi (Kagoshima), Satsuma (Kagoshima), Iki (Nagasaki), Tsushima (Nagasaki).
*Saikai Do: Chikuzen (Fukuoka), Chikugo (Fukuoka), Buzen (Fukuoka and Ôita), Bungo (Fukuoka and Ôita), Hizen (Saga and Nagasaki), Higo (Kumamoto), Hyûga (Miyazaki), Ôsumi (Kagoshima), Satsuma (Kagoshima), Iki (Nagasaki), Tsushima (Nagasaki).
(Nagayama Kokan, Token Kantei Dokuhon)
(Nagayama Kokan, Token Kantei Dokuhon)
Finally, though swords are often displayed in museums and elsewhere as a blade alone, it is not the blade alone, but rather the blade along with the mounting and decoration which comprise a sword as a total object.<ref>Kondô Yoshikazu 近藤好和, "Girei to tôken" 儀礼と刀剣, ''Rekihaku'' 200 (Jan 2017), 11.</ref>
==History of the Japanese sword in relation to Japanese historical periods==
==History of the Japanese sword in relation to Japanese historical periods==
'''Amakuni''', traditionally belived to be the maker of '''Kogarasumaru''' or ‘Little Crow’, the first curved NipponTo, now in the Imperial Household Collection. According to this legend Amakuni was the Emperor’s swordsmith. One day he saw his lord’s army returning from a battle and the Emperor ignored him instead to give the usual cheers for the good work made with the blades. Then he noticed that many soldiers had broken swords. They where chokuto or straight swords. He was so disappointed of this that he avoid to eat food and drink water for a week, studying a better way to make swords. According to the legend '''Inari''', the Kami of swordsmakers, appeared in a dream to Amakuni, teaching him how to wrap a soft steel core in an harder one, and how a curved edge is more suitable to cuts and more resistant to shocks than the previous straight one.
'''Amakuni''', traditionally belived to be the maker of '''Kogarasumaru''' or ‘Little Crow’, the first curved NipponTo, now in the Imperial Household Collection. According to this legend Amakuni was the Emperor’s swordsmith. One day he saw his lord’s army returning from a battle and the Emperor ignored him instead to give the usual cheers for the good work made with the blades. Then he noticed that many soldiers had broken swords. They where chokuto or straight swords. He was so disappointed of this that he avoid to eat food and drink water for a week, studying a better way to make swords. According to the legend '''Inari''', the Kami of swordsmakers, appeared in a dream to Amakuni, teaching him how to wrap a soft steel core in an harder one, and how a curved edge is more suitable to cuts and more resistant to shocks than the previous straight one.
The day after Amakuni made Kogarasu Maru, the ancestor of all NihonTo.
The day after Amakuni made Kogarasu Maru, the ancestor of all NihonTo.
Heian was the era of tachi. In this period became customary to sign the blades. The oldest signed blade is probably one tachi forged by '''Sanjo Munechika'''. The oldest tachi with date as well as the name of the smith engraved on the tang is from 1159 and was made by Naminohira Yukimasa. The shape of a Japanese sword ( Tachi ) in this age is Mihaba ( width ) near the Nakago is wider than that of near Kissaki, so to speak, like a man who standing with keeping his feet. Kissaki is small ( '''Ko-Kissaki''' ) and '''Sori''' ( curvature ) looks like suddenly fall to the ridge side at right above Nakago. But Sori near Monouchi is little. This shape is refined in a sense. '''Hawatari''' (length ) is about 75/80cm. This size is fit to chop the enemy on the ground with riding on Japanese horses. The horses in this age were not like present ones but small and massive. Moreover, it fit to stab the enemy on the ground because the curvature near the point is little and Nakago (tang) is short compared with the percentage of the blade. Hamon is Sugu, straight.
Heian was the era of tachi. In this period became customary to sign the blades. The oldest signed blade is probably one tachi forged by '''[[Sanjo Munechika|Sanjô Munechika]]'''. The oldest tachi with date as well as the name of the smith engraved on the tang is from 1159 and was made by Naminohira Yukimasa. The shape of a Japanese sword ( Tachi ) in this age is Mihaba ( width ) near the Nakago is wider than that of near Kissaki, so to speak, like a man who standing with keeping his feet. Kissaki is small ( '''Ko-Kissaki''' ) and '''Sori''' ( curvature ) looks like suddenly fall to the ridge side at right above Nakago. But Sori near Monouchi is little. This shape is refined in a sense. '''Hawatari''' (length ) is about 75/80cm. This size is fit to chop the enemy on the ground with riding on Japanese horses. The horses in this age were not like present ones but small and massive. Moreover, it fit to stab the enemy on the ground because the curvature near the point is little and Nakago (tang) is short compared with the percentage of the blade. Hamon is Sugu, straight.
During the Heian era two clans, the '''Minamoto''' (Genji) and the '''Taira''' (Heike), raised in power and importance. The end of the era is marked by the battle in Dan-No-Ura, where these two clans clashed together.
During the Heian era two clans, the '''Minamoto''' (Genji) and the '''Taira''' (Heike), raised in power and importance. The end of the era is marked by the battle in Dan-No-Ura, where these two clans clashed together.
====Late Kamakura (1288 -1333)====
====Late Kamakura (1288 -1333)====
The Mongolian invasions attempt of 1274 and 1281 greatly influenced the Japanese sword. Until this period the method of battle in Japan was based on single duels, with rituals as exchanging names and genealogies each other before fight with no organized formations and tactics. On the contrary Mongolians attacked suddenly in organized formations following tactics. Moreover, their armor were tough and they used weapons which Japanese have never seen before as gunpowder hand-grenades and rockets. Their armors were light and they could move fast. After that the Japanese armors became to be lighter and sword's shape changed to make them able to chop the light armor without being entrapped and then broken in them.
The Mongolian invasions attempt of 1274 and 1281 greatly influenced the Japanese sword. Until this period the method of battle in Japan was based on single duels, with rituals as exchanging names and genealogies each other before fight with no organized formations and tactics. On the contrary Mongolians attacked suddenly in organized formations following tactics. Moreover, their armor were tough and they used weapons which Japanese have never seen before as [[gunpowder]] hand-grenades and rockets. Their armors were light and they could move fast. After that the Japanese armors became to be lighter and sword's shape changed to make them able to chop the light armor without being entrapped and then broken in them.
The former blade was Hamaguri-ba. When you chop a hard thing, Hamaguri-ba is suitable, but the armors began to be light and thin in this period. So the blade in this period became to be thin compared with the one of former period. And Kissaki became to be
The former blade was Hamaguri-ba. When you chop a hard thing, Hamaguri-ba is suitable, but the armors began to be light and thin in this period. So the blade in this period became to be thin compared with the one of former period. And Kissaki became to be
'''Chu-Kissaki''' (medium length). That is, Kissaki got longer because when Ikubi-Kissaki was damaged, no room for restoration was available. When you stab the enemy, Chu-Kissaki is suitable. Ikubi-Kissaki was wider then Chu-Kissaki. '''Mihaba''' ( width ) becomes to be narrow. This shape looks like the refined one of the first stage of Kamakura, but Kissaki in this period is bigger and the center of Sori moved up. In this way, if the edge became to be thin, strength of the blade decrease. Therefore, you have to make Mihaba wide and if Mihaba become wide, Kissaki become to be bigger. The peak like this change is Odanbira in the next Northern and Southern Dynasties.
'''Chu-Kissaki''' (medium length). That is, Kissaki got longer because when Ikubi-Kissaki was damaged, no room for restoration was available. When you stab the enemy, Chu-Kissaki is suitable. Ikubi-Kissaki was wider then Chu-Kissaki. '''Mihaba''' ( width ) becomes to be narrow. This shape looks like the refined one of the first stage of Kamakura, but Kissaki in this period is bigger and the center of Sori moved up. In this way, if the edge became to be thin, strength of the blade decrease. Therefore, you have to make Mihaba wide and if Mihaba become wide, Kissaki become to be bigger. The peak like this change is Odanbira in the next Northern and Southern Dynasties.
finally '''Tokugawa Ieyasu''' managed to gain the power, and pacify the country.
finally '''Tokugawa Ieyasu''' managed to gain the power, and pacify the country.
In Muromachi Era samurai gradually began to use Uchigatana instead of Tachi. They still used Tachi in this stage and the shapes looks like the first stage of Kamakura Era, that is, Mihaba is narrow and Kissaki is small. But Sori (curvature) is different. In Kamakura Era, the center of Sori is near Nakago or little upper, but the center of Sori in Muromachi Era moved ahead. Curved around '''Monouchi''', the last part of the blade toward the point, is a characteristic often found of sword in Muromachi Era. This curvature is called '''Sakizori'''.
In Muromachi Era samurai gradually began to use Uchigatana instead of Tachi. They still used Tachi in this stage and the shapes looks like the first stage of Kamakura Era, that is, Mihaba is narrow and Kissaki is small. But Sori (curvature) is different. In Kamakura Era, the center of Sori is near Nakago or little upper, but the center of Sori in Muromachi Era moved ahead. Curved around '''Monouchi''', the last part of the blade toward the point, is a characteristic often found of sword in Muromachi Era. This curvature is called '''Sakizori'''.
This is a transitional period from Tachi to Katana, so starting from now it is hard to distinguish between the two types. Sword smith made both, and often the shape is not enough to make the difference. The only way to distinguish in between is to watch at the '''Mei''', the swordsmith’s signature. The Mei must face out from the body when worn. Tachi were worn edge down and Uchigatana edge up. So the position of the Mei on the tang tells us which type of blade it is. If no signature is present, the difference is often merely in the mounting type.
This is a transitional period from Tachi to Katana, so starting from now it is hard to distinguish between the two types. Sword smith made both, and often the shape is not enough to make the difference. The only way to distinguish in between is to watch at the '''Mei''', the swordsmith’s signature. The Mei must face out from the body when worn. Tachi were worn edge down and Uchigatana edge up. So the position of the Mei on the tang tells us which type of blade it is. If no signature is present, the difference is often merely in the mounting type.
Swords were a major Japanese export good throughout the pre-modern period, and especially in the Muromachi era, alongside [[copper]], [[sulfur]], [[folding fans]], and [[lacquerware]]. The number of swords shipped out of the country was at times quite large; according to one source, as many as 37,000 Japanese swords were imported into China in the year [[1483]] alone.<ref>Geoffrey Gunn, ''History Without Borders: The Making of an Asian World Region, 1000-1800'', Hong Kong University Press (2011), 213.</ref>
Though swords are often imagined as the primary weapon of the samurai, battles were largely fought with guns (''[[teppo|teppô]]''), halberds (''[[naginata]]''), and spears (''[[yari]]''), while swords were chiefly used after an enemy was defeated, to take heads as trophies.<ref>Morgan Pitelka, ''Spectacular Accumulation'', University of Hawaii Press (2016), 126.</ref>
The swords of this era can be divided to three groups:
The swords of this era can be divided to three groups:
==References==
==References==
*Satô Kanzan, "The Japanese Sword"
*Nagayama Kokan, "Tôken Kantei Dokuhon"
*Tokuno Kazuo, "Tôkô Taikan"
*Iida Kazuo, "Shin Nihontô Kantei Nyûmon"
*John M. Yumoto, "The Samurai Sword"
*Sôemon and Kiyoshige, "Nihontô Kôza" vol. I,II,III,IV and V
*Gregory Irvine, "The Japanese Sword"
*Fujishiro Matsuo, ''Nihon tôkô jiten'' vol. I and II
*Fuller and Gregory, "Military Swords of Japan 1868-1945"
*Tokyo National Museum Catalogue, "Masterpieces of Japanese Art," 1990
*Articles by Schiller, Guido and Takeuchi, Alexander S. (attribution given
Articles by Schiller, Guido and Takeuchi, Alexander S. (attribution given
in the article's text)
in the article's text)
<references/>
==See Also==
*[[Japanese Sword Handle Visual Glossary]]
*[[Japanese Sword Visual Glossary]]
[[Category:Arms and Armor]]
[[Category:Arms and Armor]]
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