Japanese swords developed in many different forms, each designed for particular periods, methods of use, and martial traditions. Terms such as katana, tachi, wakizashi, and tantō describe different types of swords, while others identify practice weapons, military swords, or historical periods of sword manufacture. The list below covers the principal Japanese sword types and related classifications encountered in Japanese martial arts.
| Sword | Kanji | Length (approx.) | Worn How | Typical Use | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tantō | 短刀 | 15–30 cm | In belt or carried | Dagger / backup weapon | Used for close combat, utility, and ritual |
| Kaiken | 懐剣 | 20–25 cm | Hidden in clothing | Concealed dagger | Female samurai self-defense and ritual tool |
| Wakizashi | 脇差 | 30–60 cm | Edge up in obi | Secondary sword | Paired with katana |
| Kodachi | 小太刀 | 50–60 cm | Edge down | Smaller battlefield sword | Distinct from wakizashi in origin |
| Uchigatana | 打刀 | 60–70 cm | Edge up in obi | Transitional battlefield sword | Predecessor of katana |
| Katana | 刀 | 60–80 cm | Edge up in obi | Primary sidearm | Optimized for infantry |
| Tachi | 太刀 | 70–90 cm | Hung edge down | Mounted combat | Older than katana |
| Ōdachi | 大太刀 | 100+ cm | Carried on back/attendant | Anti-cavalry / battlefield | Too long for indoor use |
| Nodachi | 野太刀 | 100+ cm | Slung on back | Open-field combat | Field sword; similar to ōdachi |
| Naginata | 薙刀 | Variable | Mounted on pole | Polearm | Curved blade on staff |
| Yari | 槍 | Variable | Mounted on pole | Spear warfare | Straight thrusting weapon |
- Aikuchi 合口
- A style of sword or dagger mounting without a tsuba, in which the tsuka and saya meet directly. Aikuchi mountings are particularly associated with tantō, but were not exclusively worn by women.
- Bokken 木剣
- A wooden practice sword used in Japanese martial arts. Usually made from hardwood. Essentially synonymous with bokutō.
- Bokutō 木刀
- A wooden practice sword used for kata, paired practice, and other forms of training. Essentially synonymous with bokken.
- Daishō 大小
- “Large and small.” A matched or associated pair of swords consisting of a longer sword and a shorter sword, traditionally worn by samurai.
- Daitō 大刀
- “Large sword.” A general term for the longer sword when distinguishing it from a shorter sword, or shōtō.
- Guntō 軍刀
- “Military sword.” A general term for Japanese military swords, particularly those carried by members of the Imperial Japanese armed forces during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
- Iaitō 居合刀
- A sword made for the practice of iai. In modern usage, the term commonly refers to an unsharpened practice sword constructed to resemble a Japanese sword.
- Katana 刀
- A curved, single-edged Japanese sword traditionally worn thrust through the obi with the cutting edge upward. The katana commonly served as the longer sword of the daishō.
- Ken 剣
- Sword. In Japanese sword terminology, ken often refers specifically to an ancient-style straight, double-edged sword, although the character can also be used more broadly for swords and swordsmanship.
- Kodachi 小太刀
- “Small tachi.” A short sword traditionally distinguished from the wakizashi and named in relation to the tachi. The term also appears in several classical martial traditions for methods involving a short sword.
- Kotō 古刀
- “Old sword.” A period classification for Japanese swords made before the beginning of the Shintō period, conventionally placed around 1596.
- Mogitō 模擬刀
- “Imitation sword.” A replica or imitation Japanese sword. The term is broader than iaitō and does not necessarily mean a sword specifically made for iai practice.
- Shinai 竹刀
- A flexible practice sword constructed primarily from bamboo slats and used especially in kendō.
- Shinken 真剣
- “Real sword.” A genuine functional sword with a sharpened blade, as opposed to an unsharpened or imitation practice sword.
- Shintō 新刀
- “New sword.” A historical classification for Japanese swords made during the Shintō period, conventionally beginning around 1596 and continuing into the late 18th century.
- Shinshintō 新々刀
- “New-new sword.” A historical classification for Japanese swords made during the revival period beginning in the late 18th century and continuing until the beginning of the modern Meiji period.
- Shōtō 小刀
- “Small sword.” A general term for the shorter sword when contrasted with a daitō. In the context of a daishō, the shorter sword was commonly a wakizashi.
- Suburitō 素振刀
- A practice sword designed for suburi, or repetitive swinging practice. Suburitō are commonly wooden and may be heavier or differently proportioned than an ordinary bokutō.
- Tachi 太刀
- A traditional Japanese long sword that preceded the widespread use of the katana. Tachi were normally suspended from the belt with the cutting edge downward and were strongly associated with mounted warriors.
- Tantō 短刀
- “Short sword.” A Japanese dagger or short blade conventionally having a blade length of less than one shaku (approximately 30.3 cm or 11.9 inches).
- Tō 刀
- Sword or blade. The on’yomi reading of 刀, commonly encountered in compounds such as nihontō, iaitō, guntō, and shintō.
- Uchigatana 打刀
- A sword worn thrust through the obi with the cutting edge upward. The uchigatana developed alongside the tachi and became the principal form from which the later katana tradition emerged.
- Wakizashi 脇差
- A Japanese short sword, conventionally having a blade length between one and two shaku. It commonly served as the shorter sword of the daishō worn with a katana.
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