A Japanese sword, or nihontō (日本刀 or にほんとう, lit. Japanese sword), is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. These are categorised in several types according to size and method of manufacture. The most commonly known type is the katana, which, like the similarly formed tachi, is a single-edged and, usually, curved long sword which was traditionally worn by samurai from the 1400s onwards; Wakizashi is the shorter sword; Tsurugi are double-...
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A Japanese sword, or nihontō (日本刀 or にほんとう, lit. Japanese sword), is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. These are categorised in several types according to size and method of manufacture. The most commonly known type is the katana, which, like the similarly formed tachi, is a single-edged and, usually, curved long sword which was traditionally worn by samurai from the 1400s onwards; Wakizashi is the shorter sword; Tsurugi are double-edged long swords; Ōtachi or Nodachi are older but longer single-edged versions.
Although they are pole-mounted weapons, the Naginata and Yari are still considered part of the nihontō family due to the methods by which they are forged.
Japanese swords are still commonly seen; antique and modernly-forged swords can easily be found and purchased. Modern, authentic nihontō are made by a few hundred swordsmiths. Many examples can be seen at a yearly competition hosted by the All-Japan Swordsmiths Association, under the auspices of the newly formed...
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