An is a type of

Japanese sword A is one of several types of traditionally made swords from Japan. Bronze swords were made as early as the Yayoi period (1000 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 were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

class of feudal Japan. The ''uchigatana'' was the descendant of the

tachi A is a type of traditionally made Japanese sword (''nihonto'') worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan. ''Tachi'' and ''katana'' generally differ in length, degree of curvature, and how they were worn when sheathed, the latter depending on t ...

. The official term for ''katana'' in Japan is ''uchigatana'' and the term ''katana'' often refers to single-edged swords from around the world.

History

The production of swords in Japan is divided into specific time periods: * Jokoto (ancient swords, until around 900 ) * Koto (old swords from around 900–1596 ) * Shinto (new swords 1596–1780 ) * Shinshinto (new new swords 1781–1876 ) * Gendaito (modern swords 1876–1945 ) * Shinsakuto (newly made swords 1953–present) From the Heian to the

Muromachi Period The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate (''Muromachi bakufu'' or ''Ashikaga bakufu''), which was officially established in 1338 by t ...

, the primary battlefield sword was the

. Its long blade and sharp edge made it ideal for use on horseback. During the fifteenth century, the ''uchigatana'' came into use, and during the

(1336 to 1573) use of the ''uchigatana'' became widespread. The word ''uchigatana'' can be found in literary works as early as the

Kamakura Period The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the Genpei War, which saw the struggle bet ...

, with ''uchi'' meaning "striking" and ''gatana'' (''katana'') meaning "sword", so that ''uchigatana'' means "striking sword". The ''uchigatana'' was originally used only by individuals of low status or rank, such as the ''

ashigaru were infantry employed by the samurai class of feudal Japan. The first known reference to ''ashigaru'' was in the 14th century, but it was during the Ashikaga shogunate (Muromachi period) that the use of ''ashigaru'' became prevalent by various ...

''. Most ''uchigatana'' made during the early

were not of the highest standard, and thus, were considered disposable, virtually no examples from these early times exist today. It was not until the

, when

began to use ''uchigatana'' to supplement the longer ''tachi'', that ''uchigatana'' of higher quality were made. During the

Momoyama period Momoyama may refer to: History *Azuchi–Momoyama period, the final phase of the Sengoku period in Japanese history 1568–1600 People * Ion Momoyama, Japanese singer and voice actor * Momoyama Kenichi (1909–1991), Korean prince and cavalry offi ...

, the ''tachi'' was almost totally abandoned and the custom of wearing a pair of long and short ''uchigatana'' together (called the ''

daishō The —literally "big-little"—is a Japanese term for a matched pair of traditionally made Japanese swords (''nihonto'') worn by the samurai class in feudal Japan. Description The etymology of the word ''daishō'' becomes apparent when the t ...

'') became the dominant symbol of the samurai class.

Description

The blade length of the ''uchigatana'' during the 16th century is said to have been from 60 cm to no more than 70 cm, with a stout ''sugata'', a steep ''saki-zori'', and it could be used as a one handed sword due to its thin ''kasane'' (thickness) and short tang (''nakago'') making it relatively light. As opposed to the ''

'', the ''uchigatana'' was worn edge-up in the belt, this and usually being slightly smaller than the ''tachi'' was the main difference between the ''tachi'' and the ''uchigatana''. Since the ''uchigatana'' is worn differently than the ''tachi'', the signature (''mei'') carved into the tang of the ''uchigatana'' is also opposite to the ''tachi'' ''mei'', making the words still upright instead of upside down as when one wears the ''tachi'' in the manner of the ''uchigatana''. ''Uchigatana'' had become popular for several reasons. Firstly, the ''uchigatana'' had proven more convenient to wear, and did not get in the way of using a polearm as much as a ''tachi''. The ''uchigatana'''s rapid acceptance had also owed to the frequency of battles fought on foot as well as to a developing emphasis on soldiers' speed, indicating that battlefield combat had sharply intensified. Since the ''uchigatana'' was shorter than the ''tachi'', it could be used in more confined quarters, such as inside a building. Furthermore, tactics of the period had dictated unseating mounted soldiers by cutting off the mounts legs; hence, mounted combat had become seen as inherently disadvantageous.

Use

Unlike the ''tachi'', with which the acts of drawing and striking with the sword were two separate actions, unsheathing the ''uchigatana'' and cutting the enemy down with it became one smooth, lightning-fast action. This technique was developed in the arts of battojutsu,

iaijutsu is a combative quick-draw sword technique. This art of drawing the Japanese sword, katana, is one of the Japanese '' koryū'' martial art disciplines in the education of the classical warrior ( bushi). Warner, Gordon and Draeger, Donn F. 2007, ...

, and

iaido , abbreviated , is a Japanese martial art that emphasizes being aware and capable of quickly drawing the sword and responding to sudden attacks.Christensen, Karen and Allen Guttmann et.al (2001) ''International Encyclopedia of Women and Sports ...

. The curvature of the ''uchigatana'' blade differs from the ''tachi'' in that the blade has curvature near the sword's point (''sakizori''), as opposed to curvature near the sword's hilt (''koshizori'') like the ''tachi''. Because the sword is being drawn from below, the act of unsheathing became the act of striking. For a soldier on horseback, the ''sakizori'' curve of the ''uchigatana'' was essential in such a blade, since it allows the sword to come out of its sheath (''saya'') at the most convenient angle for executing an immediate cut.''The Japanese sword'', Kanzan Satō, Kodansha International, 1983 p.61
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References

External links

Nihonto message board forum

{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 Japanese sword types Samurai swords Japanese swords Commons:Nihonto

History

Description

Use

See also

References

External links