The was a
ceremonial sword
A ceremonial weapon is an object used for ceremonial purposes to display power or authority. They may be used in parades and as part of military dress uniforms, or presented as gifts on formal occasions.
Although they are descended from weapons ...
produced for the Imperial Japanese
army
An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...
and
navy
A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...
after the introduction of conscription in 1872.
History

During the
Meiji period
The was an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonizatio ...
, the samurai class was gradually disbanded, and the
Haitōrei Edict in 1876 forbade the carrying of swords in public except for certain individuals such as former samurai lords (''
daimyō
were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and no ...
s''), the military and police.
[''The Connoisseur's Book of Japanese Swords''](_blank)
Author Kōkan Nagayama, Publisher Kodansha International, 1997 P.43 Skilled swordsmiths had trouble making a living during this period as Japan modernized its military and many swordsmiths started making other items such as cutlery. Military action by Japan in China and Russia during the Meiji Period helped revive the manufacture of swords and in the
Shōwa period
Shōwa most commonly refers to:
* Hirohito (1901–1989), the 124th Emperor of Japan, known posthumously as Emperor Shōwa
** Shōwa era (昭和), the era of Hirohito from 1926 to 1989
* Showa Corporation, a Japanese suspension and shock manufactu ...
(1926–1989) before and during World War II swords were once again produced on a large scale.
[''Samurai: The Weapons And Spirit Of The Japanese Warrior''](_blank)
Author Clive Sinclaire, Publisher Globe Pequot, 2004, P.58–59
During the pre–
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
military buildup and throughout the war, all Japanese officers were required to wear a sword. Traditionally made swords were produced during this period but, in order to supply such large numbers of swords, blacksmiths with little or no knowledge of traditional Japanese sword manufacture were recruited. In addition, supplies of the type of Japanese steel (
tamahagane) used for sword making were limited so several other types of steel were substituted. Shortcuts in forging were also taken, such as the use of power hammers and tempering the blade in oil rather than hand forging and water tempering; these measures created swords without the usual characteristics associated with Japanese swords.
The non-traditionally made swords from this period are called ''Shōwatō.'' In 1937, the Japanese government started requiring the use of special stamps on the tang to distinguish these swords from traditionally made swords. During this wartime period antique swords from older time periods were remounted for use in the military. In Japan, ''shōwatō'' are not considered to be true Japanese swords, and they can be confiscated. Outside Japan they are collected as historical artifacts.
Types
''Kyū guntō'' (old military sword)
The first standard sword of the Japanese military was known as the .
Murata Tsuneyoshi (1838–1921), a Japanese general who previously made guns, started making what was probably the first mass-produced substitute for traditionally made samurai swords. These swords are referred to as ''Murata-tō'' and they were used in both the Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895) and the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905). The ''kyū guntō'' was used from 1875 until 1934, and many styles closely resembled European and American swords of the time, with a wraparound hand guard (also known as a D-guard) and
chrome plated scabbard (''saya''), the steel scabbard is said to have been introduced around 1900.
[''The Japanese Army 1931–42, Volume 1 of The Japanese Army, 1931–45''](_blank)
Author Philip S. Jowett, Publisher Osprey Publishing, 2002, P.41
Prior to 1945, many ''kyū guntō'' were distributed to commissioned officers to fill a demand for swords to Japan's expanding military officer classes. To distinguish individuality, wealth or craftsmanship, many swords were produced in batches as small as 1–25 to maintain the legacy of sword culture. Styles varied greatly, with inspirations drawn from swords of early periods, familial crests, and experimental artistic forms that the Meiji Restoration period had begun to introduce. Some examples have included European style silverworking, jade, cloisonné, or metalwork and paint for artistic relief.
''Shin guntō'' (new military sword)
The was a weapon and symbol of rank used by the
Imperial Japanese Army
The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...
, between the years of 1935–1945. During most of that period, the swords were manufactured at the
Toyokawa Naval Arsenal.
In response to rising nationalism within the armed forces, a new style of sword was designed for the Japanese military in 1934. The ''shin guntō'' was styled after a traditional slung tachi of the Kamakura Period (1185–1332). Officers' ranks were indicated by coloured tassels tied to a loop at the end of the hilt. The corresponding colors were brown-red and gold for generals; brown and red for field officers; brown and blue for company or warrant officers; brown for sergeants, sergeants major or corporals.
The blades found in ''shin guntō'' ranged from modern machine-made blades through contemporary traditionally-manufactured blades to ancestral blades dating back hundreds of years.
After the Second World War's conclusion, most produced guntō were made to resemble the traditionally cloth wrapped shin-gunto swords, but out of a solid metal casting. On later models the hilts were made of aluminum and painted to resemble the lacing (ito) on officer's ''shin-guntō'' swords. These swords will have serial numbers on their blades and are nearly always machine made. If the sword is all original, the serial numbers on the blade, tsuba, saya and all other parts should match.
Type 94
officers' sword replaced the Western style ''kyu gunto'' in 1934. It had a traditionally constructed
hilt
The hilt (rarely called a haft or shaft) is the handle of a knife, dagger, sword, or bayonet, consisting of a guard, grip, and pommel. The guard may contain a crossguard or quillons. A tassel or sword knot may be attached to the guard or pomme ...
(''tsuka'') with ray skin (''same'') wrapped with traditional silk wrapping (''ito''). A cherry blossom (a symbol of the
Imperial Japanese Army
The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...
) theme was incorporated into the guard (''tsuba''), pommels (''fuchi'' and ''kashira''), and ornaments (''menuki'').
The scabbard for the Type 94 was made of metal with a wood lining to protect the blade. It was often painted brown and was suspended from two brass mounts, one of which was removable and only used when in full dress uniform. The fittings on the scabbard were also decorated with cherry blossom designs.
Type 95
released in 1935 was designed for use by
non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is an enlisted rank, enlisted leader, petty officer, or in some cases warrant officer, who does not hold a Commission (document), commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority b ...
s (NCOs). It was designed to resemble an officer's ''shin guntō'' but be cheaper to mass-produce. All NCOs' swords had machine-made blades with deep
fullers (''bo hi'') and a serial number stamped on the blade in
arabic numerals
The ten Arabic numerals (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9) are the most commonly used symbols for writing numbers. The term often also implies a positional notation number with a decimal base, in particular when contrasted with Roman numera ...
. Initially the hilts were cast out of metal (either copper or aluminium) and painted to resemble the traditionally produced items on the officer's swords. They had brass guards similar to the officer's ''shin guntō''.
By 1945, a simplified NCO sword was being produced. It had a simple wooden hilt with cross hatched grooves for grip. The scabbards were made from wood instead of metal and the guard and other fittings were made from iron instead of brass.
Type 98
The change to occurred in 1938 and was essentially a simplification of the Type 94. There were only minor differences between early Type 98 swords and the Type 94 swords that preceded them. Most notably the second (removable) hanging point was omitted from the scabbard.
Many changes occurred to the Type 98 between 1938 and the end of the war in 1945. Late in the war Japan's supply of metal was drying up and ''shin guntō'' were produced with painted wooden scabbards, and with cheaper or no brass ornamentation. Some of the final swords produced in the last year of the war utilized cheap copper or blackened iron fittings.
''Kaiguntō'' (naval sword)
are the less common naval versions of the ''shin guntō''. Some ''kai guntō'' were produced with stainless steel blades.
[Warman's World War II Collectibles: Identification and Price Guide'', Author John F. Graf, Publisher F+W Media, Inc, 2007, P.212]
Gallery
File:Japanese army sabre.jpg, ''Kyū guntō''
File:Sabre-seconde-guerre-mondiale-p1000712.jpg, Type 95 non-commissioned officer's sabre, with a cast metal painted hilt designed to look like a traditionally wrapped ''tsuka''
File:Kai gunto .JPG, ''Kai guntō'' with a ray-skin scabbard
File:Gunto type 98.jpg, Type 98 army sabre
In popular culture
*In the ''
One Piece
''One Piece'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and his crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, as he explores the Grand Line in search of the myt ...
'' manga series, one of Roronoa Zoro's swords Yubashiri is designed after a Gunto.
*In
Highschool of the Dead, Saeko Busujima received a Meiji-era Gunto manufactured by
Murata Tsuneyoshi which she uses to kill zombies.
See also
*
List of weapons of the Japanese Empire during World War II
A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but ...
References
External links
Military Swords of Imperial Japan (Guntō)Forgotten Weapons - Reject Modernity; Embrace Tradition: The Type 95 Shin Gunto
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gunto
Single-edged swords
Japanese sword types
World War II infantry weapons of Japan
Russo-Japanese war weapons of Japan
Militaria