Wakizashi
Encyclopedia
The is one of the traditional Japanese swords (nihonto) worn by the samurai
class in feudal Japan.
The wakizashi has a blade between 30 and 60 cm (12 and 24 in), with wakizashi close to the length of a katana being called o-wakizashi and wakizashi closer to tanto length being called ko-wakizashi. The wakizashi being worn together with the katana
was the official sign that the wearer was a samurai
or swordsman of feudal Japan. When worn together the pair of swords were called daishō
, which translates literally as "big-little". The katana was the big or long sword
and the wakizashi the companion sword.Wakizashi are not necessarily just a smaller version of the katana; they could be forged differently and have a different cross section.
. The wakizashi was one of several short swords available for use by samurai
including the yoroi tōshi
, the chisa-katana and the tanto
. The term wakizashi did not originally specify swords of any official blade length and was an abbreviation of "wakizashi no kataka" ("sword thrust at one's side"); the term was applied to companion swords of all sizes. It was not until the Edo period
in 1638 when the rulers of Japan tried to regulate the types of swords and the social groups which were allowed to wear them that the lengths of katana and wakizashi were officially set.
Kanzan Satō, in his book titled "The Japanese Sword", notes that there did not seem to be any particular need for the wakizashi and suggests that the wakizashi may have become more popular than the tanto due to the wakizashi being more suited for indoor fighting. He mentions the custom of leaving the katana at the door of a castle or palace when entering while continuing to wear the wakizashi inside.
While the wearing of katana was limited to the samurai class, wakizashi of legal length (ko-wakizashi) could be carried by the chonin
class which included merchants. This was common when traveling due to the risk of encountering bandits.Wakizashi were worn on the left side, secured to the waist sash (Uwa-obi or himo).
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
class in feudal Japan.
Description
Katana
A Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
was the official sign that the wearer was a samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
or swordsman of feudal Japan. When worn together the pair of swords were called daishō
Daisho
The is a Japanese term for a matched pair of traditionally made Japanese swords worn by the samurai class in feudal Japan.-Description:...
, which translates literally as "big-little". The katana was the big or long sword
Longsword
The longsword is a type of European sword designed for two-handed use, current during the late medieval and Renaissance periods, approximately 1350 to 1550 .Longswords have long cruciform hilts with grips over 10 to 15 cm length The longsword (of which stems the variation called the bastard...
and the wakizashi the companion sword.Wakizashi are not necessarily just a smaller version of the katana; they could be forged differently and have a different cross section.
History and use
Wakizashi have been in use as far back as the 15th or 16th century. The wakizashi was used as a backup or auxiliary sword; it was also used for close quarters fighting, to remove the head of a defeated opponent and sometimes to commit ritual suicideSeppuku
is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. Seppuku was originally reserved only for samurai. Part of the samurai bushido honor code, seppuku was either used voluntarily by samurai to die with honor rather than fall into the hands of their enemies , or as a form of capital punishment...
. The wakizashi was one of several short swords available for use by samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
including the yoroi tōshi
Yoroi toshi
The "armor piercing or piercer" or "mail piercer"were one of the traditional Japanese swords that were worn by the samurai class as a weapon in feudal Japan.-Description:...
, the chisa-katana and the tanto
Tanto
A is one of the traditional Japanese swords 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 years to become more ornate...
. The term wakizashi did not originally specify swords of any official blade length and was an abbreviation of "wakizashi no kataka" ("sword thrust at one's side"); the term was applied to companion swords of all sizes. It was not until the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
in 1638 when the rulers of Japan tried to regulate the types of swords and the social groups which were allowed to wear them that the lengths of katana and wakizashi were officially set.
Kanzan Satō, in his book titled "The Japanese Sword", notes that there did not seem to be any particular need for the wakizashi and suggests that the wakizashi may have become more popular than the tanto due to the wakizashi being more suited for indoor fighting. He mentions the custom of leaving the katana at the door of a castle or palace when entering while continuing to wear the wakizashi inside.
While the wearing of katana was limited to the samurai class, wakizashi of legal length (ko-wakizashi) could be carried by the chonin
Chonin
was a social class that emerged in Japan during the early years of the Tokugawa period. The majority of chōnin were merchants, but some were craftsmen, as well. Nōmin were not considered chōnin...
class which included merchants. This was common when traveling due to the risk of encountering bandits.Wakizashi were worn on the left side, secured to the waist sash (Uwa-obi or himo).