Glossary of Japanese swords

• – thin line that runs across the temper line (hamon) to the cutting edge (ha). • – regular wavy surface grain pattern (jihada). Also known as gassan-hada after the name of a school which usually produced swords of this type. ==B==

• – an authentically shaped wooden (practice) sword (or other bladed weapon). • – temper line (hamon) of the blade point (kissaki). (see image) (also see ko-maru) ==C==

• – black gleaming lines of nie that appear in the ji. • – an irregular hamon pattern resembling cloves, with a round upper part and a narrow constricted lower part. • – a straight sword primarily produced during the ancient period (jokotō). Their definition as is specifically chronological, as it refers solely to ancient pre- Heian swords, unlike which refers to later swords. These ancient Japanese swords are also known as . Japanese ==D==

• – in context any pair of Japanese swords of differing lengths (daitō and shōtō) worn together. • – any type of Japanese long sword, the larger in a pair of daishō. Commonly a katana. ==F==

• – the cutting edge (ha) of the blade point (kissaki). (see image) ==G==

• – see ayasugi-hada. • – swordsmiths summoned by the retired Emperor Go-Toba to work at his palace in monthly rotations. • – the five basic styles of swords which during the kotō period were associated with the provinces: Yamashiro, Yamato, Bizen, Sagami/Sōshū and Mino. • – pair of parallel grooves running partway up the blade resembling chopsticks. • – a wave-like outline of the temper line (hamon) made up of similarly sized semicircles. ==H==

• – the tempered cutting edge of a blade. The side opposite the mune. Also called hasaki or yaiba. (see image) • – misty spots in the temper line (hamon) resulting from repeated grinding or faulty tempering. • – temper line (hamon) with tempering marks visible around the ridge and near the edge of the blade. • – see shinogi-zukuri. ==I==

• – a fully tempered point area (kissaki) because the hamon turns back before reaching the point. • – top ridge of the back edge (mune), the back ridge. (see image) • – surface grain pattern (jihada) of scattered irregular ovals resembling wood grain. The small/large grain pattern of this type is called ko-itame-hada/ō-itame-hada. ==J==

• – area between the ridge (shinogi) and the hamon. • – visible surface pattern of the steel resulting from hammering and folding during the construction. (also see masame-hada, mokume-hada, itame-hada and ayasugi-hada) • – a sword produced before the mid-Heian period. Unlike later blades, these are straight swords. The term is also used to refer to the respective period of swordsmanship which was followed by the kotō period. • – multiple overlapping clove shaped chōji midare patterns. • – a bayonet. ==K==

• – part of the temper line (hamon) that extends from the tip of the bōshi to the back edge (mune). • – a variation of the chōji midare pattern with the peaks resembling tadpoles. • – fan-shaped point of the blade; separated from the body of the sword by the yokote. (see image) • – any knife, particularly a small utility knife carried in a pocket of the scabbards of katana and wakizashi. • – see itame-hada. • – see mokume-hada. • – diagonal line that separates the point of a blade (kissaki) from the shinogiji and extends the ridge (shinogi) to the back edge (mune) in the kissaki area. (see image) • – handle of a small utility knife (kogatana) carried in a pocket of the scabbards of katana and wakizashi on the side opposite of the kōgai. Also used to refer to the whole knife, i.e. hilt plus blade. ==M==

• – notches that divide the blade proper from the tang. (also see munemachi and hamachi) • – signature, usually engraved on the tang (nakago). • – an irregular temper line (hamon). (also see suguha) • – distance from the blade edge (ha) to the back edge (mune). (also see sakihaba and motohaba) • – see tantō. • – point at which the yokote, shinogi and ko-shinogi meet. (see image) • – notch in the back edge (mune), dividing the blade proper from the tang (nakago). (see image) ==N==

• – any sword with a blade longer than a tantō, particularly exceptionally large ones (e.g. nodachi). Also called chōtō. • – a large sword with a usually katana-sized blade and a very long handle of about equal length. Successor design to the ōdachi/nodachi. • – polearm wielded in large sweeping strokes. Typically with a wide blade, long tang and without yokote. It often has a distinctive carved groove. Also called chōtō. • – a curved blade with ridge (shinogi). • – gently waving temper line (hamon). ==O==

• – very large sword invented in the 14th century. with lengths (nagasa) of . Worn slung from the shoulder. • – a large grain pattern (jihada). • – see itame-hada. • – alternative reading of ōdachi. ==S==

• – blade width (mihaba) at the yokote. • – sword of the Imperial Japanese Army with a metal scabbard (saya) produced from the 1930s to the end of World War II in 1945. • – a real sword as opposed to unsharpened or wooden practice weapons (bokutou). • – ridge running along the side of the sword, generally closer to the back (mune) than the cutting edge (ha). (see image) • – a curved blade without yokote and a ridge (shinogi) quite close to the back edge (mune); basically shinogi-zukuri without yokote. (see image) • – straight temper line (hamon). (also see midareba) • – plain dark spots on the ji that differ considerably from the surface pattern in both color and grain. • – marks in the temper line (hamon) that resemble the pattern left behind by a broom sweeping over sand. ==T==

• – straight sword (chokutō) produced in ancient times with a blade length (nagasa) longer than . Not to be confused with the ''''''. • – knife or dagger (strictly speaking only the latter) with a length (nagasa) shorter than and typically about . Usually constructed in flat style (hira-zukuri). (also see tantō, kaiken) Commonly used as a calque for the broadest definition of (European) short swords. • – knife or dagger (strictly speaking only the former) with a length (nagasa) shorter than and typically about . Usually constructed in flat style (hira-zukuri). Also called mijikagatana. (also see tanken, kaiken) • – single-edged blades (saber/knife) of any size or shape. • – a tempered spot within the ji not connected to the main temper line (hamon). • – umbrella term for all single- and double-edged blades of any size and shape. • – curvature (sori) of the blade in which the center of the curve lies roughly in the center of the blade resembling the horizontal bar of torii. • – an ancient (jokotō) very short knife with blade length (nagasa) of or less. • – sword guard; generally a round metal plate with a central wedge shaped hole for the blade and if needed up to two smaller holes for the kozuka or kōgai Also a (now rare) general term for double-edged blades, see ken. ==U==

• – curvature (sori) of the blade with a slight curve toward the cutting edge (ha). • – misty reflection on the ji or shinogiji usually made of softer steel. ==W==

• – blades with a length (nagasa) between . Shorter of the two swords worn by warriors in the Edo period. ==Y==

• – see ha. • – without turn-back (kaeri); a bōshi that continues directly to the back edge (mune). • – spot or spots where nie is concentrated on the ji. ==See also==