Kodachi: A Look Into The Japanese Short Sword
What’s in this article?
Of all the famous Japanese swords, the kodachi (こだち) is a short
Origins of The Kodachi Sword
The term “kodachi” can be translated into “small tachi“ or “short tachi” and is regarded as one of the traditional nihonto (Japanese) swords used by the samurais of feudal Japan in the early Kamakura period (1185 – 1333) when the Kamakura Shogunate ruled Japan. The Samurais were hereditary military nobility, where the status comes with high levels of responsibility and prestige.
Answering to the local daimyo and working under a retainer, these warriors were critical during the Kamakura period in Japan as they were under constant attack by the Mongolian army with Japan being able to resist most of these attacks. However, in 1274, more than 600 ships carrying weapons, missiles, and 23,000 infantrymen were headed for Japan.
The attack would have been a success if it were not for the typhoon that wiped out the invaders. For this reason, Japan credited this to the intervention of the Gods and started to develop a host of weapons to better defend against future attacks. This led to the invention of the Kodachi
Characteristics of A Kodachi Sword
Classified as a short
Material
A Kodachi is a hand-forged short
Blades
The
Uses
Due to the length of the Kodachi
Design
Since the Tachi
Due to its design, the Kodachi
Kodachi Vs Wakizashi Swords
While it has been established that the Kodachi swords are basically a smaller and shorter version of the tachi swords, the similarity of the Kodachi and Wakizashi has led to much confusion. Both these swords are used by samurai warriors throughout Japan’s feudal period, often as a secondary weapon to the Japanese katana
Length
The wakizashi and Kodachi differ mainly in length. While the Kodachi generally measures about 24 inches or 60 centimeters long, the wakizashi is between 12 to 24 inches or 30 to 60 centimeters long. Although both these swords are shorter than other traditional Japanese samurai swords, the Kodachi was still the longer counterpart. While the Kodachi
Mounting
Although strikingly similar, the Kodachi
Function
Neither the Kodachi or Wakizashi swords were considered as primary weapons. Samurai warriors in feudal Japan were legally required to carry two swords while on official duty. Among these two swords, one has to be a long primary
Status
During Japan’s feudal period, the Kodachi could be used by civilians even when the Japanese government restricted the ownership of long swords to officials and samurais. Since the Kodachi was under the legal limit, civilians could own and use them. Both the Kodachi and Wakizashi swords are popular civilian weapons as they follow the Tokigawa length regulations and requirements.
Japanese Sword Lengths
To further understand the Kodachi
While the measurements of “shaku” varied throughout the years, the modern standardized version of this unit comes out to exactly 11.93 inches or 30.3 centimeters. It also has special sub measurements that we won’t delve into, but based on this unit, here is how the Kodachi
- No more than one shaku – Tanto
sword (dagger) - Between one to two shaku – Shoto (little
sword ) - Exceeds two shaku – Daito (big / long
sword )
If you are wondering about how curved blades are measured, the shaku count is based on measuring a straight line between the tip of the blade and the point where the blade meets the tang (munemachi). While most shoto are wakizashi swords, some daito were intentionally forged in a way so the blades fall below two shaku, leading to the invention of the Kodachi. Besides the katana, other bigger
Kodachi In Mainstream Media
This Moriie Kodachi was forged by swordsmith Moriie during the Oei Era, circa 1394-1428 in the early Muromachi Period. It has since been certified as Tokubetsu Kicho (especially precious) by the NBTHK (Society for the Preservation of the Japan Art
Being a traditional Japanese
Conclusion
The Japanese Kodachi