Today every second person associates Japanese weapons with the katana sword. And it's not that this judgment is wrong, but in battles this weapon played far from a key role. Hollywood filmmakers elevated the samurai culture to mass consumption, and along with this, they formed many misconceptions about Japanese weapons. In reality, the samurai's combat arsenal was much more extensive.
In ancient times, Japanese samurai never parted with weapons. They wore it both in peacetime and during military confrontations. Their arsenal was very diverse, because there were special weapons used exclusively for naval battles, local battles and the commission of an act of revenge.
Bow (Yumi)
The ancient Japanese believed that the art of archery, which bears the sonorous name of "kyudo", was the most important skill in combat. Only the most distinguished warriors in the Japanese samurai hierarchy had the right to wield the bow. Then the archer was directly associated with the sacred treatise "bushido", which means - "the way of the samurai."
The standard bow is two meters long, has an asymmetrical shape, while its upper one is half the size of the lower one. It is believed that such a weapon is most convenient for shooting from a horse. Yumi is predominantly made from bamboo and wood. The standard range of an aimed shot is about sixty meters, but in the hands of a trained warrior, this distance is doubled, or even tripled.
Also in ancient times, yumi existed much longer than two meters, and the bowstring was pulled so hard that seven samurai were required at once for the practical use of the bow. As a rule, this type of bow was used to sink enemy boats, that is, it was used in naval battles. Japanese warriors often fought with their enemies at sea, therefore, from the most ancient times, yumi must have been present in their arsenal.
Spear (Jari)
The length of the classic spear averaged from two to five meters. The shaft (nagae) was made mainly of oak, with a tip (ho) in the shape of a sword attached to it. Such weapons have always inflicted the most terrible stabbing and chopping blows. The spear in most cases was intended to knock the rider off the horse. The Japanese infantryman had to be strong enough to be able to use the yari in battle. Often it turned out so that tired during the confrontation of battles could not pick up this weapon and continue the battle.
The predecessor of this spear was the hoko sword, which had a diamond-shaped tip and was about twenty centimeters long. This light spear was intended for pinpoint pricks and was thrown out with one hand.
Dagger (Yoroi-doshi)
The so-called "dagger of mercy", which was often used to finally finish off wounded opponents. In translation, yoroi-dosi means "armor piercer". It is a small, short dagger, from five centimeters long, easily fits into the military bag of a Japanese soldier.
Blade (Shuriken)
Literally translated - "blade hidden in the hand." Throwing type of hidden carrying weapon. As a rule, it has the structure of an asterisk, but it can also take the form of a variety of household items - nails, needles or coins. Shuriken was very often used in the course of hostilities. If a Japanese samurai lost his main weapon, he immediately remembered his hidden blade.
Throwing weapons (Bo-shuriken)
A special type of weapon that was usually sharpened on one side only. The length of the bo-shuriken averaged fifteen centimeters. This weapon was made mainly of high quality steel. No battle in ancient Japan was complete without a bo-shuriken because of its convenience and reliability.
Female dagger (Kaiken)
A battle dagger that was used primarily by women of the high class. It was almost always used for self-defense. But there were times when they resorted to him to commit suicide or when an attempt was made on another person. This weapon had a blade twenty centimeters long and was sharpened on both sides.
Swords
As you know, the possession of a sword among the Japanese is called kenjutsu, where kendo means "the way of the sword", and jutsu means "art." In addition to the basic techniques of using weapons, kenjutsu also includes the education of a military character and the correct approach to mastering samurai dogmas. The samurai sword is referred to as the “soul of the samurai”. Warriors treated such weapons with special trepidation, with maximum frugality.
The sword was a kind of class certificate, because only samurai had the right to wear it. No wonder they even slept with him. It is definitely worth noting the special approach to the manufacture of this type of weapon, because it was erected by the Japanese to the absolute and had a great ritual background. Long and hard work is spent on making a samurai sword, which on average takes several months. The master strives to achieve the most precise angles and absolutely flat surfaces. This type of weapon is not only effective in combat, but also aesthetically attractive, because it is not for nothing that even today the samurai sword occupies a special cultural niche and is used in many homes as decoration for decoration.
Consider several private types of samurai swords:
Naginata
Translated from Japanese, nagita means "long sword". Its handle reaches a length of two meters and has an additional blade, the size of which is fifty centimeters. Infantry weapons are used to injure enemy horses. Its predecessor is a small sword used by peasants in ancient Japan to defend against enemy tribes.
Tsurugi
An ancient samurai sword, sharpened on both sides. It was used until the tenth century in combat battles, after which it was replaced by the “tati” sword.
Tati
A long, unilaterally curved sword reaching 60 centimeters in length. It is the direct ancestor of the worldwide sword "katana". It was most often used by riders and was worn with the tip down for safety reasons.
Katana
This sword appeared in the fifteenth century. Many Japanese soldiers referred to it as an improved tachi. In all katanas, the length of the blade reaches sixty centimeters, the handle is slightly convex, as a rule, it is covered by two palms. Such a weapon weighs up to one kilogram, and is worn on the left side of the body in a special sheath with the blade up. When threatened, the sword should be kept in a state of readiness, covering the hilt with the left hand, as a sign of trust - with the right.
Deise
Two samurai swords at once, where the first is daito, which means "long sword" and the second is seto, that is, "short sword". This type of weapon was used by the samurai class. The Daito averaged 100 centimeters long, the Seto 50. Both swords were about 3 centimeters wide. Possession of two swords at once was called the Ryoto technique, but few warriors possessed this art, because, as a rule, only one of the swords was used in battle. It is worth noting one of the most recognizable not only in Japanese, but also in world culture, the samurai Miyamoto Musashi, who skillfully wielded two swords at the same time.
Weapon culture
Samurai at all times extremely carefully looked after their weapons. Cleaning was strictly divided into stages and carried out with different tools. First, lubrication was carried out with a special oil, after which the remnants of this very oil were removed with acid-free rice paper. The owners of the weapons carried out this ceremony with the utmost care, without leaving unnecessary scratches on the sword.
