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A is a long, single (or rare double-edged)
Nihonto message board forum
Samurai swords Japanese sword types Japanese knives {{Japan-hist-stub
A is a long, single (or rare double-edged) knife
A knife ( : knives; from Old Norse 'knife, dirk') is a tool or weapon with a cutting edge or blade, usually attached to a handle or hilt. One of the earliest tools used by humanity, knives appeared at least 2.5 million years ago, as evid ...
without ornamental fittings housed in a plain mount.
Uses
It was once carried by men and women of thesamurai
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 ...
class in Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
. It was useful for self-defense in indoor spaces where the long blade ''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 ...
'' and intermediate sword ''wakizashi
The is one of the traditionally made Japanese swords (''nihontō'') worn by the samurai in feudal Japan.
History and use
The production of swords in Japan is divided into specific time periods:
'' were inconvenient. Women carried them in their kimono
The is a traditional Japanese garment and the national dress of Japan. The kimono is a wrapped-front garment with square sleeves and a rectangular body, and is worn left side wrapped over right, unless the wearer is deceased. The kimono ...
either in a pocket-like space (futokoro) or in the sleeve pouch (tamoto) for self-defense and for ritual suicide
A suicide method is any means by which a person chooses to end their life. Suicide attempts do not always result in death, and a nonfatal suicide attempt can leave the person with serious physical injuries, long-term health problems, and brai ...
by slashing the veins in the left side of the neck. When a samurai woman married, she was expected to carry a kaiken with her when she moved in with her husband.
In modern Japan, a kaiken is worn as a traditional accessory for formal kimono
The is a traditional Japanese garment and the national dress of Japan. The kimono is a wrapped-front garment with square sleeves and a rectangular body, and is worn left side wrapped over right, unless the wearer is deceased. The kimono ...
, such as a furisode, uchikake and a shiromuku, tucked into their obi.
Orthography
Due to pronunciation changes over time, the ''kwaiken'' is now called a ''kaiken''. The kaiken is also referred to as a ''futokoro-gatana'' or a ''mamori-gatana'' (守り刀; "protection sword/blade").See also
*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 t ...
* Tantō
A is one of the traditionally made Japanese swords (Commons:Nihonto, ''nihonto'') that were worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan. The tantō dates to the Heian period, when it was mainly used as a weapon but evolved in design over the year ...
References
External links
*Nihonto message board forum
Samurai swords Japanese sword types Japanese knives {{Japan-hist-stub