用語集

Beginner Explanation

A small dagger with no tsuba, where the blade meets the handle directly.

Beginner Explanation

A red version of tsuishu — cinnabar-red urushi built up in many layers, then carved so the cross-section shows mottled reddish-orange speckling.

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A saya lacquer finish in which small fragments of aogai (iridescent mother-of-pearl) are scattered across a deep blue/navy ground.

Beginner Explanation

Small lines of tempered steel reaching down from the hamon toward the edge.

Beginner Explanation

A wavy, repeating grain pattern in the steel surface.

Beginner Explanation

One of the Five Traditions, based in Bizen province, the largest sword-producing region.

Beginner Explanation

A groove carved into the blade, sometimes called a 'blood groove'.

Beginner Explanation

The tempered pattern on the kissaki (point).

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Martial equipment — arms, weapons, armor, and military equipment.

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A brown saya finish with a subtle horizontal wood-grain or brush-stroke texture across the lacquer.

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Dark, shiny lines visible within the blade surface.

Beginner Explanation

A hamon pattern resembling clove buds, with rounded forms and narrow 'necks'.

Beginner Explanation

An irregular temper pattern shaped like clove blossoms.

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A medium-sized point section on a blade.

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Blades made to individual order, of higher quality than mass production.

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The matched pair of katana (long) and wakizashi (short) worn together.

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A general term for a long sword.

Beginner Explanation

A tradition, school, lineage, or style of swordmaking.

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The torso-protecting body armor, the central piece of a Japanese armor set.

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A style of armor that wraps the body and closes at the side.

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The period of Tokugawa rule from 1603 to 1868.

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A formal or ceremonial tachi mounting.

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The collar at the tsuka side of the tsuba, reinforcing the handle mouth.

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A coordinated set of the fuchi and kashira fittings.

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The front corners of the shikoro folded upward on a kabuto.

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A forge defect where trapped gas or impurity caused a blister in the steel.

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The noticeable taper of a blade from broad base to narrower point.

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Swords made after the Haitōrei (sword abolition) edict of 1876.

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A false signature carved into a blade's tang to mimic a famous smith.

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The five major regional traditions of Japanese sword making.

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One of the most influential lineages of Japanese metal-fitting artists.

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A hamon pattern of regularly spaced rounded 'beads' or waves.

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A rhythmic hamon of repeating rounded, "clove-like" peaks at regular intervals.

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A semi-cursive style of Japanese script.

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The sharpened cutting edge of the blade, opposite the mune (spine).

Beginner Explanation

A crack running into the hardened cutting edge.

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The wedge-shaped collar that secures the blade in the scabbard.

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The exact line where the hardened edge meets the softer body of the blade.

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The surface grain pattern of the steel, revealed through polishing.

Beginner Explanation

A modern polishing technique that emphasizes the hamon as a bright, white line.

Beginner Explanation

Armor protecting the thighs, suspended from a belt.

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An Edo-period school of soft-metal fitting makers.

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The tempering pattern along the edge of the blade, created during quenching.

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A saya finished with ray skin (same) covering part of the surface (han = half), showing white beaded nodes over a dark granular ground.

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A saya with a tightly wrapped, ridged finish showing alternating light tan and dark-brown rings, giving a banded, corded appearance.

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A protective guard covering the upper face or forehead.

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A simple chest protector covering only the front of the torso.

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A type of armor that wraps around the body, opening at the back.

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An important historical lineage of Japanese armorers.

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A collective term for visual activities in the hamon or blade surface.

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A very fine polishing stone used in the final stages on a sword.

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A famous named sword attributed to Hasebe Kunishige, associated with Oda Nobunaga.

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Sword fittings associated with Higo Province.

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A hamon style of the Ichimonji school of Bizen — a complex, undulating, slightly irregular temper line of choji-based patterns.

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A celebrated named sword of the Ichimonji tradition, known for its flamboyant chōji-based hamon.

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A blade form without a shinogi ridge.

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An auxiliary opening in a tsuba for a kōgai or kozuka.

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A hereditary family of sword polishers and appraisers.

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Decorative or symbolic carving on a blade.

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A helmet bowl assembled from plates whose rivets show as prominent 'stars' on the outside.

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An NBTHK paper level meaning 'worthy of preservation.'

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An important group of Bizen swordsmiths.

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A zig-zag, lightning-bolt-like bright line within the hamon.

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Lacquered deerhide — smoked deerskin decorated with raised lacquer patterns, here a black ground with a red stippled/speckled design.

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A seal or stamp used to authenticate a document or signature.

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A saya (scabbard) finish where the lacquered surface is carved with evenly spaced ring-like grooves along its length, echoing the stacked segments of an inrō (a traditional layered Japanese container).

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A spine shaped like a gable roof, with a central ridge and two slopes.

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The use of different colored metals to decorate fittings.

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An Edo-period fittings school known for refined natural subjects.

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A wood-grain-like forging pattern in the steel.

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The cord or braid used in wrapping the tsuka.

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Relatively large armor scales used in lamellar construction.

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The surface of the blade between the hamon and the shinogi.

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Fine particles of nie distributed through the ji.

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The visible steel on the surface of the blade, revealed by polishing.

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The visible forged-steel texture of the blade surface.

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A wide, often conical or flat war hat worn by foot soldiers.

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A bōshi (point pattern) whose rounded tip resembles the head of the bodhisattva Jizō.

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Juzumaru-Tsunetsugu is one of the five swords of the Tenka Goken, attributed to Aoe Tsunetsugu.

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The earliest Japanese swords, including straight chokutō, predating the classical Nihontō.

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A designation for art objects of special importance.

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A high-level cultural designation for significant Japanese swords.

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A high-level NBTHK designation: 'Important Sword'.

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The samurai helmet, made of riveted or articulated iron plates.

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A bōshi pattern that flares upward like flames.

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The portion of the bōshi that turns back along the mune.

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Regular or block script with clearly formed strokes.

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Magoroku Kanemoto is one of the most celebrated Mino-den swordsmiths, known for his distinctive sanbonsugi (three-cedar) hamon.

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A hamon style associated with the Kanesada (兼定) smiths of Mino/Seki — a clear, wavy temper line along the edge.

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A hamon style associated with the Kanesada lineage of Mino Province, typically featuring notare-based patterns with nie activity.

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A "dry lacquer" saya finish — matte or satin rather than high-gloss, with a slightly grainy, charcoal surface.

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The pommel cap at the end of the tsuka, matching the fuchi in design.

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An engraving technique imitating brushwork.

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The most iconic Japanese sword, worn edge-up through the obi. Generally 60–70 cm nagasa.

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The formal term for a complete suit of armor, including helmet and all components.

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The harder outer layer of steel that forms the blade's surface.

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An unusually or elaborately shaped helmet.

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Swords mass-produced in quantity to meet wartime demand.

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A stylized written monogram used as a personal mark.

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A pointed nakago-jiri shaped like a sword tip.

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Research, study, or scholarly investigation.

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The mass of raw steel produced by the tatara smelting furnace.

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The craftsman who makes sword fittings (tosōgu).

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An attribution inscription applied with gold lacquer.

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A bright, golden-looking line running within or across the hamon.

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An inscription inlaid into the tang with gold.

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The point section of the blade, defined by the yokote line.

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The forging and working of the blade steel.

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A determination or attribution made by an appraiser.

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Kiyomaro is one of the most celebrated Shinshintō-period swordsmiths, renowned for powerful blades in the Sōshū revival style.

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A flaw or defect in the blade's steel.

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A blade with a notably small point section.

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The small utility knife whose handle is the kozuka.

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The protective fitting at the end of the saya.

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The highest designation for culturally significant objects in Japan.

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A dark version of tsuishu — built up from dark/navy lacquer layers, often with gold or bronze dust embedded, then carved to reveal a finely flecked, sparkling surface.

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A saya (scabbard) finish where the lacquered surface is carved into a series of ringed grooves, echoing the segmented trunk of the sendan (bead-tree).

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A blade whose deepest curvature is near the base (koshi).

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The complete decorative mounting of a Japanese sword — scabbard, handle, guard, and all fittings.

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Armored sleeves protecting the arms and hands.

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Nagasone Kotetsu is one of the most celebrated early Edo-period swordsmiths, renowned for cutting ability and distinctive hamon.

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'Old swords.' The classical period of Japanese sword making.

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Small individual scales joined by lacing to form armor.

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The decorated handle of a small utility knife (kogatana) carried in the saya.

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Horikawa Kunihiro was an influential late Momoyama/early Edo-period swordsmith who revived classical styles.

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A hamon style associated with Horikawa Kunihiro (堀川国広) — a distinct, rolling, mountain-like wave (choji-midare) temper pattern.

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Awataguchi Kunitsuna was an important Kamakura-period Yamashiro swordsmith of the Awataguchi school.

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The knob on the saya through which the sageo (cord) is threaded.

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Hanging skirt sections protecting the hips and upper legs.

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Historical cursive and abbreviated Japanese characters.

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A slender skewer carried in a slot of the saya, used for grooming.

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The brim or visor projecting forward from a kabuto to shade the eyes.

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The notches where the blade meets the tang, one on the edge and one on the spine.

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A shortening method that moves the notches up the blade rather than cutting the tang.

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A crest mounted on the front of a kabuto.

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A spine that is rounded rather than ridged.

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Suishinshi Masahide was a pioneering Shinshintō-period smith who advocated for a return to classical Kamakura-period forms.

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A straight grain pattern running lengthwise along the blade.

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A celebrated Kamakura-period swordsmith of the Sōshū tradition.

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The traditional 'Ten Disciples of Masamune.'

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A signature inscribed on the nakago (tang), typically giving the smith's name.

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A famous, celebrated, or historically distinguished sword.

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The peg that locks the blade into the handle (tsuka).

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A hole through the nakago for the retaining peg.

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A general term for facial armor.

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A face mask protecting the face and sometimes the throat.

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Small decorative ornaments placed beneath the handle wrapping.

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An irregular, complex wavy hamon with uneven peaks and troughs of varying size and spacing.

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Irregular or undulating, used to describe non-straight hamon.

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A hamon with an irregular, varied pattern.

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A green "ishime" (stone-texture) lacquer finish — a matte, pebbled green saya surface like rough stone.

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One of the Five Traditions, based in Mino province (Seki).

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An Edo-period metalworking tradition associated with Mito.

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A matched set of menuki, kōgai, and kozuka.

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A circular or burl-like grain pattern resembling wood rings.

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A family, institutional, or personal crest.

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The principal cutting area near the front of a blade.

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The width of the blade near its base.

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A blade without a signature (mei).

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The back or spine of the blade, opposite the cutting edge.

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A hamon style associated with Sanjō Munechika (三条宗近) — a faint, subtle, understated temper line.

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A legendary early Yamashiro swordsmith, credited with forging one of the most revered swords in Japanese history.

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The notch on the spine (mune) where the tang begins.

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A hamon style associated with Munenori-attributed blades, featuring flowing notare with activity.

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Muramasa was a celebrated swordsmith of the Mino or Ise tradition, famous for exceptionally sharp blades and a distinctive hamon.

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A prominent lineage of armorers and ironworkers.

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The primary Japanese authority for sword authentication and preservation.

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A recognized Japanese sword authentication organization.

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The cutting-edge length, measured from munemachi to kissaki.

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A polearm with a curved, single-edged blade. Used extensively in the Kamakura and Nanbokuchō periods.

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The tang of the blade, which fits into the handle.

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The terminal shape of the nakago.

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A category of guards displaying foreign influence.

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A ground texture of minute raised dots resembling fish roe.

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The era of the Northern and Southern Courts, 1336–1392.

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A celebrated named sword of the Bizen Ichimonji tradition with a dynamic chōji hamon.

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An Edo-period metalworking tradition known for pictorial fittings.

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Bright, visible particles of hardened steel within the hamon.

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The traditionally forged Japanese sword, made using tamahagane steel and differential heat treatment.

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A celebrated named sword of the Bizen Ichimonji tradition, renowned for its spectacular chōji hamon.

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A fine, misty line of hardened steel forming the hamon, too fine to see as individual grains.

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The appearance and brightness of the nioi line where the hamon meets the ji.

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A gentle, wave-like undulating hamon with soft, rolling deviations from the straight line.

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A hamon with gentle, rolling waves.

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A fine paste applied in the final polish to color and protect the steel.

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A sash or belt through which a sword may be worn.

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The lacing used to connect armor scales or plates.

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A metalworking school celebrated for dynamic wave designs.

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The side considered outward when the sword is worn.

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A folded appraisal document, especially from Hon'ami evaluation.

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Steel made by re-melting and folding scrap or old iron for reuse.

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The major sword-producing town in Bizen, home to famous smiths.

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A traditional rubbing or inked record of a blade's shape, hamon, and tang.

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The hamon of the celebrated sword Otenta (大典太), one of the Five Swords Under Heaven — a clean, refined, near-straight temper line.

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The stable surface coloration that develops on metals.

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A distinguished Yamashiro-school smith lineage based in Kyoto.

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Clerical script with broad, deliberate strokes.

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A traditional compound used in patinating metal alloys.

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The paired auxiliary openings in a tsuba.

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The cord attached to the scabbard, used to secure it to the belt.

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An inscription recording a historical cutting test.

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A blade whose curvature is deepest toward the point (saki).

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Ray skin wrapped around the wooden handle core, providing a textured grip surface.

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Sanchomo refers to a distinctive highly active, complex hamon style associated with specific attributed blades.

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A three-part laminated blade construction.

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A lineage associated with carefully constructed multi-plate kabuto.

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A banner or identifying device worn on the back of armor.

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The scabbard, typically lacquered wood.

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An inscription written on a plain storage scabbard.

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Soft-metal inserts adjusting a tsuba's fit around the tang.

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A saya (scabbard) finish that combines the ringed carving of the sendan (bead-tree) style with the segmented, stacked-segment motif of an inrō (layered container).

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A saya (scabbard) finish where the glossy lacquered surface is carved with a series of deep ringed grooves, echoing the segmented trunk of the sendan (bead-tree).

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Thin metal spacers on either side of the tsuba.

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A copper-and-gold alloy patinated to a deep blue-black.

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A copper-and-silver alloy with gray tones.

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The layered neck guard hanging from the back of a kabuto (helmet).

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The softer, lower-carbon steel forming the inner core of the blade.

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A saya finished to resemble a shinobue (bamboo flute) — smooth, highly polished dark brown-to-black lacquer with reflective highlights evoking lacquered bamboo.

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The ridge line running lengthwise between the edge and the spine.

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The ridge line running along the length of the blade.

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The flat area of the blade between the shinogi ridge and the spine.

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A ridged blade form with a defined shinogi.

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A formal examination to assess authenticity and quality.

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Contemporary blades made by living smiths using traditional methods.

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A revival period seeking to return to Kotō aesthetics.

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'New swords.' Swords made after the unification of Japan.

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A plain wooden storage scabbard used when the blade is not in decorative mounting.

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A small ornamental metal liner in a fitting aperture.

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An attribution written in red lacquer on a tang.

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A large and diverse family of fittings makers.

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A blade shape without a yokote line, tapering continuously to the point like an iris leaf.

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A short sword, the shorter blade in a daishō.

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Rectangular shoulder armor plates suspended from the shoulders.

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The depth of the blade's curvature.

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A saya finish that imitates ray skin (same), rendered in lacquer as a pattern of light circular nodules on a dark ground.

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The overall shape and proportions of a blade.

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A straight hamon running evenly and parallel to the cutting edge along the length of the blade.

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A hamon that runs in an essentially straight line along the edge.

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A helmet whose plates meet at raised ridges, with rivets hidden on the inside.

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Openwork created by cutting through a tsuba or fitting.

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A distinctive hamon style featuring large, dramatic tōran-notare waves, associated with the Edo-period smith Tsuda Sukehiro of Osaka.

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A hamon style associated with the smith Sukehiro — large, rolling, wave-like shapes (toran-ba).

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Lines of nie resembling wind-swept sand.

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Armor protecting the shins.

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A blade whose tang has been shortened, often to remount an older tachi as a katana.

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A full-face mask covering most of the face.

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Fully cursive script with abbreviated, connected characters.

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One of the Five Traditions, developed in Kamakura under the shogunate.

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An earlier sword form, worn edge-down, suspended from the belt. Generally longer and more curved than the katana.

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A signature placed for tachi wearing orientation.

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The Tadahiro lineage of Hizen Province produced blades celebrated for refined suguha hamon and exceptional jigane.

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High-relief carving projecting from the surface.

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The traditional steel used for Japanese sword making, produced in a tatara furnace.

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A translucent "tame" lacquer — an amber/red topcoat over a colored base that develops layered depth as it ages.

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An inscription recording a cutting test performed on the blade.

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Test cutting to evaluate a blade's cutting ability.

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A dagger or short blade, under 30 cm nagasa.

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A folding, portable cuirass that collapses for travel.

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The traditional clay furnace used to smelt iron sand into tamahagane.

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Visible hard iron formations in an iron tsuba.

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A celebrated group of five historically important swords.

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An archaic, stylized seal script.

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The art of polishing a Japanese sword to reveal its structure.

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The specialist craftsman who polishes Japanese swords.

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A higher NBTHK paper level meaning 'especially worthy of preservation.'

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A blade with an even, graceful curvature along its length.

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The 'modern' armor developed in response to firearms and mass warfare.

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The collective term for all sword fittings — tsuba, menuki, fuchi-kashira, kozuka, kōgai, seppa.

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The handguard that separates the blade from the handle and protects the hand.

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A specialist craftsman who makes tsuba (sword guards).

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The handle, constructed around a wooden core wrapped in ray skin and braid.

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The silk or leather braid wrapped around the handle.

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The craft and method of wrapping the tsuka.

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A wooden substitute blade holding a koshirae together.

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A broad term for swords and bladed weapons.

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A dramatic irregular hamon resembling surging waves.

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The complete exterior mounting in which a sword is carried.

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An original, unshortened nakago.

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The predecessor of the katana, worn edge-up for foot combat.

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A blade shape with a shinogi ridge only near the point and no yokote.

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The side opposite the omote.

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An inscription on the back side of the tang, opposite the main signature.

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Natural Japanese lacquer used to protect and decorate objects.

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A faint, misty reflection of the hamon visible in the ji (blade surface).

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A saya finish in the Wakasa-nuri style — a deep red base with a swirling, wave-like marbled pattern.

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A shorter sword, typically 30–60 cm nagasa, worn with the katana as part of the daishō.

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A crack or separation along the fold lines of the steel.

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A historical category ranking swords for cutting performance.

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The differential-hardening process producing the hamon.

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The area of the blade that has been hardened during quenching.

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Unrefined or relatively pure copper used in fittings.

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One of the Five Traditions (Gokaden), based around Kyoto.

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One of the Five Traditions, centered on Nara and its temples.

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A spear with a straight, double-edged blade. A primary battlefield weapon from the Muromachi period.

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The file marks left on the nakago (tang) by the smith.

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Hōki Yasutsuna is one of the earliest named Japanese swordsmiths, associated with powerful, classically formed blades.

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A throat guard suspended beneath facial armor.

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The line separating the kissaki from the body of the blade.

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An Edo-period fittings school known for expressive carving.

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Japanese armor. Also refers specifically to the great armor (ō-yoroi) of the classical period.

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Isolated patches of nie in the ji, separate from the hamon.

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Leaf-shaped formations of hardened steel in the hamon.

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Construction or form, appearing in blade-type terms.

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A simple 'head-shaped' helmet from a few iron plates.

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Inlay created by embedding one metal into another.

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A blade with an exaggeratedly large point section.

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A blade whose tang has been greatly shortened, removing most of the original tang.

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The box-like 'great armor' of mounted warriors.

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An exceptionally long Japanese sword.

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Ōtenta-Mitsuyo is one of the five swords of the Tenka Goken, attributed to Miike Tenta Mitsuyo.