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The wakizashi (Kanji: 脇差 Hiragana: わきざし?) meaning "side inserted sword") is
one of the traditionally made Japanese swords (nihonto) worn by the
samurai class in feudal Japan. Contents
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
tantō 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.
History and use
An antique Japanese wakizashi with koshirae and related parts, shown dis-assembled.
The hamon (temper line) is clearly visible.
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 behead a defeated opponent and sometimes to
commit ritual suicide. The wakizashi was one of several short swords
available for use by samurai including the yoroi tō***, the chisa-katana and the
tantō. The term wakizashi did not originally specify swords of any official
blade length and was an abbreviation of "wakizashi no katana" ("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).