Katana 刀

Katana (刀) literally means “sword” or “blade,” but today the term most commonly refers to the curved, single-edged Japanese sword associated with the samurai. Developing from earlier Japanese sword forms, particularly the tachi, the katana became widespread during Japan’s medieval period and was normally worn edge-up through the obi. Its design allowed the sword to be drawn and employed quickly and became closely associated with the development of Japanese sword arts such as iai, kenjutsu, and battōjutsu. In modern English, katana usually refers specifically to the familiar long Japanese sword worn with the cutting edge facing upward.

History of the Katana

The katana developed from earlier forms of the Japanese sword, particularly the tachi (太刀). Tachi were curved swords primarily associated with mounted warriors and were normally suspended from the belt with the cutting edge facing downward.

As warfare changed during the medieval period, swords intended to be worn thrust through the sash became increasingly important. By the Muromachi period (1336–1573), the form now commonly identified as the katana had become widespread.

One of the most obvious differences was the way it was worn. The katana was normally placed through the obi (帯) with the cutting edge facing upward. This allowed the swordsman to draw and cut in a single continuous action and contributed to the development of traditions involving iai (居合) and battō (抜刀) — methods concerned with drawing the sword and responding immediately to an attack.

The distinction between tachi and katana, however, is not simply a matter of blade shape. Japanese sword classification can involve the sword’s mounting, intended method of wearing, inscriptions on the tang, historical period, and other factors.

The Samurai Sword

The katana became closely associated with Japan’s samurai (侍) warrior class. During the Edo period (1603–1868), samurai commonly wore the katana together with a shorter sword, usually a wakizashi (脇差). The pair was known as daishō (大小), literally “large and small.”

By this period, the sword’s significance extended beyond its battlefield function. It was also a visible indication of social status and increasingly became associated with ideals of discipline, authority, and warrior identity.

After the abolition of the samurai class during the Meiji period, the wearing of swords in public was heavily restricted by the Haitōrei (廃刀令) of 1876. Japanese sword-making nevertheless survived, and traditional methods continue to be practiced today.

Katana Construction

A traditional Japanese sword is not simply one uniform piece of hardened steel. Japanese swordsmiths developed sophisticated forging and heat-treatment methods intended to produce a blade capable of holding a hard cutting edge while retaining enough resilience to withstand shock.

One of the katana’s most recognizable characteristics is the hamon (刃文), the visible temper pattern running along the cutting edge. It results from differential hardening of the blade and is not merely decorative.

The completed blade is fitted with removable mountings called koshirae (拵). These may include the:

• Tsuka 柄 – handle
• Tsuba 鍔 – hand guard
• Habaki 鎺 – blade collar
• Seppa 切羽 – spacers
• Fuchi 縁 – handle collar
• Kashira 頭 – handle end fitting
• Saya 鞘 – scabbard
• Sageo 下緒 – scabbard cord

The actual blade itself is the tōshin (刀身).

Katana in Japanese Martial Arts

The katana, or swords modeled after it, is used in numerous Japanese martial traditions, including:

• Kenjutsu (剣術) – traditional methods of swordsmanship, frequently emphasizing paired kata.
• Iaijutsu (居合術) – classical methods involving drawing and immediately employing the sword.
• Iaidō (居合道) – modern disciplines derived from iai traditions, commonly practiced through solo kata.
• Battōjutsu (抜刀術) – methods emphasizing drawing the sword and cutting.
• Kendō (剣道) – modern Japanese fencing, which primarily uses the shinai rather than an actual katana but preserves concepts derived from Japanese swordsmanship.

Katana, Nihontō, and Japanese Sword

Although katana is frequently used in English to mean virtually any Japanese sword, the terms are not completely interchangeable.

Nihontō (日本刀) literally means “Japanese sword” and is the broader term for traditionally made Japanese swords. Nihontō can include katana, tachi, wakizashi, tantō, and other blade types.

A katana is therefore a type of nihontō, rather than nihontō being another name specifically for a katana.

Basic Katana Anatomy

Some important terms for the sword itself include:

• Ha 刃 – cutting edge
• Kissaki 切先 – point or tip
• Monouchi 物打 – effective cutting portion toward the forward part of the blade
• Mune 棟 – back or spine
• Nagasa 長さ – blade length
• Nakago 茎 – tang
• Shinogi 鎬 – ridge line
• Sori 反り – curvature
• Yokote 横手 – division between the main blade and kissaki

The scabbard is the saya (鞘), while the complete set of external sword mountings is called the koshirae (拵).

Katana Parts and Related Terms

• Bōhi 棒樋 | Blade groove – A long groove carved into the blade, usually along the shinogi-ji. It reduces weight while retaining rigidity and can affect the sound produced during a cut. Often incorrectly called a “blood groove.”
• Bōshi 帽子 | Temper pattern in the point – The portion of the hamon that continues into the kissaki. Its shape and return (kaeri) are important characteristics in evaluating a Japanese sword.
• Fuchi 縁 | Handle collar – Metal fitting around the tsuka immediately behind the tsuba. It reinforces the forward end of the handle.
• Ha 刃 | Cutting edge – The sharpened edge of the blade.
• Habaki 鎺 | Blade collar – Metal collar fitted around the base of the blade. It seats against the opening of the saya and helps hold the sword securely in the scabbard.
• Habuchi 刃縁 | Temper boundary – The boundary between the hardened edge (yakiba) and the softer portion of the blade. It forms the edge or border of the visible hamon and may contain fine crystalline activities such as nie and nioi.
• Ha-machi 刃区 | Edge notch – The notch at the base of the cutting edge where the blade transitions into the nakago.
• Hamon 刃文 | Temper pattern – The visible pattern along the hardened cutting edge created through differential heat treatment. Its appearance varies according to the smith and tradition.
• Hasaki 刃先 | Cutting edge / edge tip – The extreme sharpened edge of the blade; literally the “tip of the edge.”
• Hi 樋 | Blade groove – General term for a groove cut into a sword blade. Bōhi is a particular long, straight form of hi.
• Ji 地 | Blade surface – The main surface of the blade between the hardened edge area and the shinogi.
• Kaeri 返り | Turnback – The portion of the bōshi that turns back from the point toward the mune within the kissaki.
• Kaeshizuno 返角 | Retaining hook – A small hook-like fitting sometimes attached to the saya. It can catch against the obi and help prevent the saya from being pulled forward.
• Kashira 頭 | Pommel / end cap – Fitting at the end of the tsuka. Literally “head.”
• Katana 刀 | Japanese sword – A curved, single-edged Japanese sword traditionally worn edge-up through the obi.
• Kissaki 切先 | Point / tip – The pointed forward section of the blade, generally separated from the main body of the blade by the yokote.
• Koiguchi 鯉口 | Mouth of the saya – The opening of the scabbard into which the blade is inserted. Literally “carp’s mouth,” referring to its shape.
• Kojiri 鐺 | Scabbard end – The bottom or terminal end of the saya and, particularly, a fitting used to protect or decorate that end.
• Koshirae 拵 | Sword mountings – The complete external mounting of a Japanese sword, including the tsuka, tsuba, saya, and associated fittings.
• Kurikata 栗形 | Sageo knob – Fitting attached to the side of the saya through which the sageo passes.
• Mei 銘 | Signature / inscription – An inscription normally cut into the nakago, often identifying the swordsmith and sometimes giving a date or other information.
• Mekugi 目釘 | Retaining peg – Peg, traditionally made of bamboo, that passes through the tsuka and mekugi-ana in the nakago to secure the blade within the handle.
• Mekugi-ana 目釘穴 | Peg hole – Hole through the nakago through which the mekugi passes.
• Menuki 目貫 | Handle ornaments – Small decorative fittings placed beneath the tsuka-ito. In addition to decoration, their placement can contribute to the shape and feel of the grip.
• Monouchi 物打 | Cutting portion of the blade – The forward portion of the blade regarded as particularly effective for striking and cutting. Its precise extent can vary according to sword tradition and usage.
• Mune 棟 | Spine – The unsharpened back of the blade opposite the cutting edge.
• Mune-machi 棟区 | Spine notch – The notch at the base of the mune where the blade transitions into the nakago.
• Nagasa 長さ | Blade length – The conventional length of a Japanese sword blade, measured in a straight line from the kissaki to the mune-machi rather than along the curvature of the blade.
• Nakago 茎 | Tang – The unpolished portion of the blade extending into the tsuka. It commonly bears the smith’s signature and other identifying characteristics.
• Nakago-jiri 茎尻 | Tang end – The terminal end of the nakago. Its shape varies and can be characteristic of particular smiths, periods, or traditions.
• Sageo 下緒 | Scabbard cord – Cord attached to the saya through the kurikata. It is used in wearing and securing the sword and also has functions in iai etiquette.
• Samegawa 鮫皮 | Rayskin – Ray skin traditionally applied to the tsuka beneath the handle wrapping. Despite the literal kanji referring to shark skin, rayskin is normally used.
• Saya 鞘 | Scabbard – The wooden scabbard that encloses and protects the blade. Traditional saya are commonly made from Japanese magnolia wood and may be lacquered as part of the koshirae.
• Seppa 切羽 | Spacers / washers – Thin metal spacers normally placed on either side of the tsuba to help provide a secure fit between the sword’s components.
• Shinogi 鎬 | Ridge line – The longitudinal ridge running along each side of the blade and separating the ji from the shinogi-ji.
• Shinogi-ji 鎬地 | Ridge surface – The area of the blade between the shinogi and the mune.
• Shitodome 鵐目 | Decorative eyelet – Small metal fittings sometimes inserted into the openings of the kurikata through which the sageo passes. Shitodome can also appear in other sword fittings.
• Sori 反り | Curvature – The degree and form of curvature of a Japanese sword blade. The location of the deepest curvature is also an important characteristic in classifying blade shape.
• Tōshin 刀身 | Sword blade – The sword blade itself, as distinct from its removable mountings and fittings.
• Tsuba 鍔 | Hand guard – Guard mounted between the blade and tsuka. It helps protect the hands, contributes to the sword’s handling characteristics, and is often highly decorative.
• Tsuka 柄 | Handle / hilt – The handle assembly fitted over the nakago and held in place by the mekugi.
• Tsuka-ito 柄糸 | Handle wrapping – Cord or braid wrapped around the tsuka, usually over samegawa. Often simply called ito.
• Yakiba 焼刃 | Hardened edge – The hardened portion of a Japanese sword blade produced through heat treatment. It extends along the cutting edge and is distinguished from the softer body of the blade by the hamon.
• Yasurime 鑢目 | File marks – Deliberate file marks made on the surface of the nakago. Their patterns can help identify particular swordsmiths and traditions.
• Yokote 横手 | Point division line – The transverse line or geometric boundary separating the kissaki from the main body of the blade on sword shapes that possess a yokote.

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