Wakizashi Complete guide to learn about this famous sword

Wakizashi: Everything You Need To Know

Throughout history, the Samurai used many different weapons and tools. Some of them were ceremonial; some were for practical combat. Most people are familiar with flashier weapons like the Uchigatana, which has become a cultural icon. Fewer people know about the battle weapons like Kodachi and Tachi. Secondary weapons like Wakizashi and Tanto pretty much always stay in the background.

In essence, Wakizashi is a shorter version of the Uchigatana. The difference between a Uchigatana and a Wakizashi is similar to that between a longsword and a shortsword.

Wakizashi dominated the Edo period primarily because of its socio-political landscape. The strictly enforced class system also played a role in the popularity of the Wakizashi. The process of crafting a Wakizashi is also a complicated affair that requires skilled swordsmiths and the finest refinement materials. In this article, I’ll cover all such topics related to Wakizashi.

What Is Wakizashi?

The Wakizashi is sort of like a short Katana but is also different in some ways. It is a companion weapon to the standard Katana and features a curved blade. It is believed that Wakizashi originated in the early Edo period, but such weapons also show up much earlier in history.

The pre-Edo period also saw the use of Wakizashi. The Samurai primarily used it for indoor fighting. The shinobi of the Sengoku period also carried similar weapons because they were easier to conceal and carry. However, even The Chonin class merchants could have such blades.

It has every element that a katana has, including the Habaki, Tsuba, Tsuka. The tang of a Wakizashi is sometimes shorter but it’s still a full tang. The effort that went into making a Wakizashi is in no way inferior to that of crafting a Katana. But that’s only true for the Wakizashi carried by the Samurai.

The Ones carried by the Chonin class or any other commoner could differ. Usually, the ones held by the Samurai were built with the same theme and design as their Katana. But since the commoner did not carry Katana, the Wakizashi they had were standalone weapons.

Special Things About Wakizashi

The peaceful Edo period was only peaceful because there were strict laws in place. One such law dictated that all samurai must carry two Katanas. The two-sword law popularized Daisho- which means using a set of one long and one short Katanas.

One of the other things that the Tokugawa Shogunate mandated was the strictly enforced caste system. Due to the caste system, only the Samurai could carry a full-sized Uchigatana openly. Publicly carrying such a blade could lead to various punishments for the peasants and merchant class.

However, the law did not extend to Wakizashi because it was not a full-sized katana. Everyone could use it. And so they did. In the Edo period, Wakizashi became the most widely spread weapon because anyone who could afford one had one.

In that era, the Samurai could slash civilians with legal authority in certain situations. It was due to a system called Kiri-site Gomen. For honor’s sake, they would not fight unarmed individuals. In such cases, the samurai would unsheath their Wakizashi and give it to the civilian before drawing their Katana for an impromptu duel.

How Long Is A Wakizashi?

Wakizashi’s length can vary widely from 30 cm all the way to 50 cm and more. When it reaches above 50 cm, its length gets pretty close to a standard Uchigatana. In general, you can divide Wakizashi’s size into three categories.

In the late Sengoku and early Edo periods, there weren’t any standard blade sizes for the Wakizashi. So craftsmen made blades in widely varying lengths. But the commoners in the Edo period would prefer not to use longer Wakizashi because such swords could be mistaken for a katana. They would instead like to use the shorter Wakizashi or even a Tanto for self-defense.

Below are the three sizes categories of Wakizashi:

1. O-Wakizashi

The O-Wakizashi are the longest type of Wakizashi. These were roughly 50 to 60 cm long, about the same size as Uchigatana. The Samurai used such Wakizashi to quell public unrest. The Doshin- an effective police force during the Edo period, used such O-Wakizashi alongside their standard weapons like the Jitte.

2. Chu-Wakizashi

The chu-Wakizashi ranged from 40 to 50 cm and were considered medium-sized Wakizashi. These were more commonly carried by the Samurai of the Edo period. Daisho sets often featured matching Uchigatana and Chu-Wakizashi, especially during the early Edo period.

3. Ko-Wakizashi

Ko-Wakizashis range from 30 to 40 cm long and are often comparable to longer Tantos. Such Wakizashi blades are most suited for indoor self-defense, and many unarmed-martial arts evolved to use these blades in tandem with existing styles for added lethality and effectiveness.

Occasions To Use Wakizashi

Wakizashi may be a secondary weapon, but it saw more action than Uchigatana in the Edo period. That was primarily due to peacetime. There are many situations where you would want to use a Wakizashi over an Uchigatana and you may prefer using both in tandem.

Below are some such situations:

1. As Backup/Off-hand Weapon

Wakizashi has many practical functions in armed combat in Samurai warfare. In most cases, it served as a secondary weapon for the Samurai, which they would use when they lost or broke their Katana mid-fight. It’s a solid backup option in such scenarios.

Many people in the Late Sengoku and Edo periods also used Wakizashi and their Uchigatana. Such practice became especially popular because masters like Miyamoto Musashi perfected the two-sword style, who is also a pop-culture icon at this point.

2. Indoor Combat

Fights within a lord’s castle in Shogunate Japan were not uncommon. And the Samurai in the Edo period often left their Uchigatana with their servant when entering indoors or placed them in designated locations. In such situations, Wakizashi were the only weapons they could rely on when things took ugly turns- which they often did.

The size of the Wakizashi made it a much more versatile weapon for indoor combat, and many martial arts incorporated it into their fighting style. However, most of them were focused on drawing as little blood as possible because drawing blood in a lord’s castle was disrespectful.

3. Weapon For Non-Samurai

Edo period Japan was distinctly divided into different social hierarchies. Samurai were directly below the Daimyo, and below the Samurai were three 3 classes of peasants. First were the commoners, then the artisans, and finally, the merchants.

Carrying Katanas or Long bladed weapons was not permissible for anyone below the Samurai class. That was Tokugawa Ieyasu’s brilliant idea for preventing civil unrest and potential uprisings. And it also made rising through the social hierarchy impossible.

However, the law only prevented the commoners from carrying full-sized katanas. Wakizashi was still allowed, so pretty much anyone below the samurai class wanting a self-defense weapon would choose to get a Wakizashi.

4) Kiri-Sute Gomen

Kiri-Sute Gomen is the law that allows the Samurai to slash any commoner if they disrespect them. Before performing the slash with their Katana, the Samurai would often hand the peasant their Wakizashi as a show of honor.

But it was one of the systems that Samurai rarely made use of because a government investigation would follow any such action. So Samurai couldn’t just do such a thing willy-nilly.

Common Material For Wakizashi

Bladesmiths in Japan historically used Tamahagane for crafting blades for combat. Tamahagane is a type of iron sand and can vary between low and high quality. Pre-Edo period swordsmiths used Tamahagane primarily for the war weapons of the Samurai.

Swordsmiths also use carbon steel and Manganese steel for crafting Wakizashi, but such practices are relatively modern. Spring steel is also a relatively common material for crafting Wakizashi. Modern bladesmiths can also use T10 steel for the delicate decorative Wakizashi.

Tamehagane Wakizashi is still made in modern-day Japan, but only licensed bladesmiths can craft them within Japanese borders. These swords are also just as expensive as authentic Katanas.

Wakizashi Mounting

Wakizashi mounting is a distinct process that changed many times through the ages. During the Sengoku Jidai, Wakizashi were plainer and often catered to practicality over pomp. In the Edo period, Wakizashi was much more well-crafted.

Such swords were made with a thinner cross-section than a Uchigatana, much like the Tanto. But they did not have all the mounting elements.

But such blades were slightly thinner than the regular Katanas to preserve their sharpness. This Wakizashi featured Decorative Saya, Tsuba, Kashira, Fuchi, and Tsuka.

However, some mounting styles remove the Tsuba and decorative Saya in favor of a more plain Shirasaya. It lacks pomp but is considered more solemn. The Wakizashi also lacks the traditional Kogai you see on most mounted katanas.

The Kogai is the hairpin inserted by the side of the Saya of a Regular Katana during mounting. It is placed near the Sageo. Most Wakizashi of the early Edo period do not have the inclusion of a Kogai.

Difference Between Wakizashi And Katana

Katana is an umbrella term that applies to various battle swords used by the Samurai. What most people call Katana is actually the Uchigatana that was popularized during the Edo period. These blades are significantly different from Wakizashi in terms of how and when they were used.

1. Size

The most noticeable difference between a Uchigatana and Wakizashi is the size. While a Uchigatana is typically 60 to 80 cm, the Wakizashi can be as short as 30 cm to up to 50 cm. Comparatively, the Tachi is even longer, averaging 70-80 cm.

2. Usage

Wakizashi was a secondary sword, and it was designed to be used one-handed. That’s why most Wakizashi have shorter handles compared to a Uchigatana. It was also primarily used indoors, where Uchigatanas were somewhat unwieldy. The Uchigatana of the Edo period were weapons for official armed combat.

The Uchigatana was the primary weapon for melee combat in the peaceful Edo period, but the Tachi, Nodachi, and Kodachi were more used in the pre-Edo period. Wakizashi were seen as less important during those times because wars were fought on horseback, and longer weapons were more effective.

3. Historical Appearance

Wakizashi appeared in Japanese history around the 14th to 15th century. The Muromachi period was the first time Wakizashi became popular, but they weren’t as widely used until the Edo period. Uchigatana only became popular during Edo, but they started showing up around the 15th century.

4. Mounting

There’s usually no noticeable difference between Wakizashi mounting and Katana mounting. They both use similar decorative Sayas and are placed the same way. The only difference is that Wakizashi typically do not have a Kogai, but longer Katanas do.

Difference Between Wakizashi And Tanto

People are often seen mistaking Wakizashi and Tanto because both were short weapons.

1. Size and Shape

Tanto and Wakizashi both have a distinct size range. Tantos are daggers and are typically never longer than 30. Depending on the purpose, then they can be as short as 10 cm or less. Wakizashi is never shorter than 30 cm. They also vary in shape. Tanto is almost straight, whereas the Wakizashi is curved like the Uchigatana.

The tanto handle is shorter and sometimes does not have elaborate wrappings like that of a Uchigatana or Wakizashi. They also lack a handguard (Tsuba), but some modern iterations feature one. Tanto also had a thinner blade angle, making it sharper than Katana and Wakizashi. Assassins and Ninjas during the Sengoku period favored such weapons.

The traditional kitchen knife of Japan heavily inspires the base design of the Tanto. Featuring a medium-sized blade with a straight profile. Such designs made Tanto a very sharp weapon. The small size of the Tanto also ensured that it was highly durable.

2. Usage

Tanto had a variety of uses, both as self-defense and as offensive weapons in war. The smaller size of the Tanto also made it an excellent concealed weapon for assassinations. The daughters of the Samurai clan carried a special kind of Tanto for self-defense.

Harder and slightly longer Tanto was used as stabbing weapons in the battle against armored opponents. Samurai armor was primarily made of many small metal and leather plates, which made it great against slashing attacks, but there are many gaps, and a good stab from a tanto could do significant damage.

Wakizashi In Martial Art

The act of using two Katanas dates back hundreds of years before the Edo period. It was not explicitly developed during the Edo period when Daisho became popular.

Many Japanese traditional sword styles have two sword skills. But most schools agree on using just one primary weapon during battle.

1. Enmei ryu

Enmei Ryu is a Martial Art style that uses both a main-hand Katana and a secondary Wakizashi. The style involves using one blade in each hand. So the Uchigatana used for this style was relatively shorter. But Still longer than the accompanying Wakizashi.

Enmei Ryu is one of the oldest sword styles in Japanese martial arts. For the longest time, people thought it vanished in the annals of history. It was the sword style Miyamoto Mushashi trained in earlier in life. Mushashi’s famous Nito-ryu kenjutsu is found in many parts of Enmei Ryu.

2. Niten Ichi-Ryu

Niten Ichi-Ryu is the most popular sword style in recent years. People recognize it because the style is intimately tied to Miyamoto Musashi. Musashi’s fame is far-reaching, so many movies and literary works feature his signature sword style Niten Ichi-ryu.

The Niten Ichi-ryu roughly translates to “heaven and earth as one.” Musashi is the one who popularized the two sword styles in Japan with his exceptional skills at handling a Katana and a Wakizashi simultaneously.

Nito-Ryu is an integral part of this sword style, primarily focusing on using two blades. In contrast, other contemporary martial arts in Japan that had two-sword styles did not make it their primary focus. A lot of people are under the misconception that Miyamoto Musashi invented the two-sword technique.

But the truth is, such styles existed centuries before he was even born. What Miyamoto Musashi did was make the two-sword style popular. People only treated it as a practice style before that.

Famous Wakizashi In History

脇差 銘 兼定 (Wakizashi Mei ‘Kanesada’) was made by the swordsmith ‘Kanesada’ (kanesada) who was active in Mino Province (currently the southern part of Gifu Prefecture).

There are several swordsmiths who inscribed their swords with ‘Kanesada’, the most famous of which is the second generation Kanesada, known by the nickname ‘Nosada’. The second generation Kanesada is known for producing many famous swords with excellent sharpness, and was loved by famous warlords such as Oda Nobunaga’s retainer ‘Akechi Mitsuhide’ and the warlord known by the nickname ‘Human Warrior’ ‘Mori Nagayoshi’.”

脇差 無銘 貞宗 Wakizashi No mei Sadamune was created by the swordsmith “Hikoshiro Sadamune” (Hikoshiro Sadamune) who was active in Sagami Province (now Kanagawa Prefecture) from the late Kamakura period to the Northern and Southern Dynasties period.

The creator, Hikoshiro Sadamune, is a representative swordsmith of the Soshu tradition. Although there are no existing signed works, many of his works have been designated as national treasures and important cultural properties.

Conclusion

In short, the history of Wakizashi goes deep, and many famous figures used such weapons. They are like shorter katanas and were the primary weapon of choice during combat in confined spaces. Such swords were famous during the Edo period.

Due to it's rich history and sheer novelty, many katana enthusiasts want to own their very own Wakizashi. That's we offer custom built Wakizashi. So, if you're interested in owning one yourswlf, order today.