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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==
====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.
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>
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/>
==See Also==
*[[Japanese Sword Handle Visual Glossary]]
*[[Japanese Sword Visual Glossary]]
[[Category:Arms and Armor]]
[[Category:Arms and Armor]]
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