Japanese Swords

The Japanese word for sword is 'Katana'. The katana or the Japanese sword was primarily used for cutting and used with a two-handed grip. It is traditionally worn edge up. Practical arts of using the sword today are obsolete but kenjutsu and iaijutsu have turned into modern martial arts. The art of drawing the katana and attacking one's enemies is iaid?.

Authentic Japanese swords are fairly uncommon today but genuine ones can be purchased for a high price. The modern katana and wkaizashi are made by a few licensed practitioners who practice making these swords even today. The swords used during the World War II, "type 98 katana" are very rare.

The oldest forms of Japanese Swords can be traced back to the 3rd and 4th centuries. According to legend, the Japanese sword was invented by a smith named Amakuni in 700 AD, along with the folded steel process but in reality, the folded steel process and single edge swords had been brought over from China through trade. By the time of the civil war, which erupted in the 12th century, the need of swords grew. The Mongol invasions of Japan in the thirteenth century spurred further evolution of the Japanese Sword. Production of Japanese swords was halted after the Second World War by the United States who had taken control of Japan during that time. The ban was overturned due to a personal appeal.

Japanese swords can be distinguished and classified according to their length. apanese (check spelling 'Japanese') swords are measured in units of shaku, (a shaku being around 30cm or one foot). A blade shorter than 1 shaku is considered a tant? or a knife. A blade longer than 1 shaku but less than 2 is considered a sh?t? or a short sword. The wakizashi and kodachi are in this category.

Blades longer than 2 shakus are considered to be a daito or a long sword. A chiisakatana is a shorter sword but longer than the wakizashi, lying between one and two shaku in length. The most common reference to a chiisakatana is a shorter katana that does not have a companion blade. They were most commonly made in the buke-zukuri mounting. Long blades usually longer than 3 shaku are usually carried across the back and are called ?dachi or nodachi. The word ?dachi is also sometimes used as a synonym for katana.

Japanese swords can be traced back to one of five provinces, each of which is having its own school, traditions and 'trademarks'. For example the swords from Mino province were famous from the beginning for their sharpness".

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