Katana Info

What is Gunto 軍刀 (Japanese WW2 Swords)  Gunto, widely known as the Japanese WW2 Swords, refers to the swords carried by the Japanese army since the Meiji period, most people called it Japanese WW2 swords because they were widely used during the World war 2. Gunto in Japanese is 軍刀, Gun 軍 means military, and To 刀 means swords, Gunto literally means “military sword”...

What is Koshirae 拵 "Koshirae" 拵 means the external mountings of a katana sword used for carrying, including the scabbard (saya), hilt (tsuka), handguard (tsuba) etc. It's a collective term for the decorative parts of a Japanese sword, known as "sword fittings". Koshirae serves three main functions: protection of the katana blade, enhancement of practicality, and demonstration of the owner's dignity. Technically speaking, in Japanese, swords refer...

Because of anime and tv show you might think katana is the only weapon samurai use, but the truth is, there are many choice of weapons for a samurai warrior, and one of them is Hoko 矛, a type of Japanese spear. This article will introduce what Hoko is, how it was used, the features and types of hoko, and famous hoko appearing in mythology or in...

When most people think about the weapon of samurai, the iconic image of a katana often comes to mind. However, the reality of samurai warfare was much more diverse, with a variety of weapons being utilized. Among these, the yari, a type of spear, was actually far more common and widely used than the katana in many battle situations. Yari played a crucial role in...

What is Nagamaki 長巻 "Nagamaki" (長巻) refers to a type of Katana (Nihonto), featuring a long, slender blade similar to a katana, paired with an unusually long handle, allowing for two-handed grip and greater control. Nagamaki looks very similar to "Naginata" (薙刀), but there are many difference. This article introduce the basic knowledge of Nagamaki, a long with its history, types and comparison with other Japanese polearms.   Table...