Resource Article – Reference Glossary by Unique Japan

Glossary of Japanese Sword Terms and Samurai Culture


Glossary of Japanese Sword Terms - Unique Japan

A reference guide to the key terms used in Japanese sword collecting and samurai culture. Whether you are reading a sword description for the first time or brushing up on terminology you half-remember, this glossary is here to help. Terms are listed alphabetically. For illustrated diagrams of blade and koshirae components, see our Parts of a Japanese Sword page.

A  
B  
C  
D  
F  
G  
H  
I  
J  
K  
M  
N  
O  
S  
T  
U  
W  
Y  
Z

A

Aikuchi Literally “fitting mouth.” A form of koshirae mounting for tanto blades (up to 30cm) in which the handle and scabbard meet without a guard in between.
Ara-nie Large, coarse nie. Nie are martensite crystals formed during the heating and quenching process – crystals large enough to be viewed as individual particles.
Ashi Projections or short lines of soft steel running from the border of the hamon to the edge of the blade. Literally “leg” or “foot.”
Ayasugi-hada A pattern of grain forming regular wavy lines, used primarily by the Gassan and Satsuma Naminohira schools.

B

Bôhi A wide groove almost filling the shinogi surface.
Bonji Sanskrit characters occasionally carved onto the blade surface as horimono.
Bôshi The shape of the temper line in the point of the sword. See Parts of a Japanese Sword.
Bô-utsuri Straight faint mirror-like reflections of the temper line.
Bushidô Literally “Military-Knight-Ways.” An unwritten code of moral principles which the samurai were required to observe. Inazo Nitobe wrote Bushidô: The Soul of Japan in 1900 – essential reading for anyone who owns a Japanese sword. See our recommended books page.

C

Chikei A bright curved line (such as nioi) that occurs in the ji (grain body of the sword).
Chôji A hamon in the shape of cloves. Typical of swords in the Bizen tradition.
Chôji-midare A clove-shaped temper line mixed with irregular shapes.
Chû-kissaki A blade point of medium length in proportion to the width of the blade near the tang. Chû means “middle.”
Chû-suguba A hamon that is straight with medium width.

D

Daishô A matched pair of swords – typically a katana and wakizashi with matching koshirae. Only samurai carried a daishô. See our Koshirae page for examples of custom daishô koshirae we have built.
Daitô A long sword. Literally “large sword.”

F

Fukura The cutting edge of the sword point.
Fukure Flaws.
Fumbari A term describing a blade that becomes noticeably wider as it approaches the hilt. A feature of kôtô blades.
Furisode-nakago A tang shape with the end deeply curved toward the back, resembling a kimono sleeve.

G

Gakumei A signature removed from the original tang and inserted into a shortened tang.
Ginsuji A silvery-coloured kinsuji line in the temper line (yakiba).
Gishi A man of rectitude. From Inazo Nitobe’s Bushidô: “Rectitude is the power of deciding upon a certain course of conduct in accordance with reason, without wavering.”
Gunome A type of hamon resembling regular half-circles.
Gunome-midare An irregular mixture of ragged gunome.
Guntô A general term for swords with military mountings, primarily from the WWII era.

H

Ha The cutting edge of the sword.
Habaki The collar around the blade above the tang that fits the blade securely into the scabbard. See Parts of a Japanese Sword.
Ha-buchi The border line between the ji and the yakiba.
Hada The surface grain of the blade. There are many types and more than one can appear on the same blade. See Parts of a Japanese Sword.
Hagane Steel used to make a Japanese sword – may also be referred to as tamahagane, the raw jewel steel.
Hagiri A flaw where the blade edge is cracked entirely through at a right angle to the edge.
Hakikake A feature of the tempered edge in which nie appear in a swept or brush-stroke pattern.
Hako-ba A box-shaped hamon.
Hamachi The edge notch where the blade joins the tang. See Parts of a Japanese Sword.
Hamon The temper line – the visible boundary between the hardened cutting edge and the softer body of the sword. One of the most studied elements of a Japanese blade. See Parts of a Japanese Sword and How Does a Japanese Sword Get So Hard and Sharp?
Handachi A katana with partly tachi mountings.
Hi Grooves cut into the blade. See Parts of a Japanese Sword.
Hira The flat surface of the blade.
Hira-zukuri A blade shape that is flat without shinogi ridges.
Hitatsura A hamon of full temper where the blade tends to resemble a tiger.
Hitsu-ana One or two holes in the sword guard (tsuba) through which the kozuka and/or kôgai are inserted into pockets in the scabbard.
Horimono A general term for carvings on the blade surface, including grooves (hi) and pictorial engravings. See 7 Points, Point 5.

I

Ihori-mune A two-surface shape to the mune (back edge) of the blade.
Ikubi-kissaki A short, stubby point said to resemble the neck of a wild boar.
Inazuma Lightning-shaped bright lines in the yakiba or the hada.
Itame-hada Wood plank grain pattern in the surface steel. One of the most common jihada types.

J

Ji The surface of the blade between the yakiba and the shinogi. See Parts of a Japanese Sword.
Jihada The surface texture and grain pattern of the blade. The various patterns of hada. See 7 Points, Point 5.
Ji-nie The presence of nie in the ji.
Jinja A Shinto shrine – a sacred place where kami live. Every village and town in Japan has its own shrine dedicated to the local kami.

K

Kaen A flame-shaped bôshi pattern.
Kaeri The shape of the turn-back of the bôshi pattern.
Kai-guntô Modern Japanese Naval swords.
Kaji A swordsmith.
Kaku-mune A square shape to the back of the mune.
Kami In Shinto belief, invisible spiritual beings and powers. Kami can be elements of the landscape, forces of nature, or exist within human-made objects such as a sword.
Kanji Chinese writing characters used in Japan. Seen on sword tangs in signatures, dates and inscriptions.
Kantei The study and appraisal of Japanese swords.
Kasane General term for the thickness of the blade.
Katana A long sword of 60.6cm or greater, worn cutting edge up through the belt. The most familiar form of Japanese sword. See 7 Points, Point 2.
Katana-kaji A swordsmith.
Katana-mei The signature on the side of the tang facing away from the body when the blade is worn cutting edge up.
Katana-togishi A sword polisher.
Katana-kake A horizontal sword display stand.
Katakiriba A sword shape with a ridgeline on one side only, the other side flat.
Ken A straight, double-edged sword.
Kengyo A tang end with a symmetrical V-shape.
Kinsuji Whitish-golden lines along or within the yakiba.
Kissaki The point of the blade. Comes in several shapes – ko-kissaki (small), chû-kissaki (medium) and ô-kissaki (large). See Parts of a Japanese Sword.
Kitae The style of forging.
Kizu Various flaws or defects in a blade. Literally “cut or scratch.”
Kodachi Short tachi blades, usually 60.6cm or less, from the Kamakura period.
Kôdôgu The collective term for all sword fittings except the tsuba.
Kôgai A hair-arranger which fits into a pocket in the scabbard, withdrawn through the hitsu-ana in the tsuba.
Kôjiri The fitting on the bottom end of the scabbard. See Parts of a Japanese Sword.
Ko-kissaki A blade point of short length in proportion to the width near the tang. Associated with refined, older aesthetics.
Komaru A small round bôshi.
Ko-mokume Small wood-burl grain hada.
Ko-nie Tiny martensite crystals along the hamon.
Koshirae The full mounting of a Japanese sword, including scabbard, fittings and handle. See Parts of a Japanese Sword and our Koshirae page.
Koshi-zori A blade curve with the maximum curve point nearer to the tang than the middle. Characteristic of older tachi.
Kôtô Old swords – generally swords made before 1600. The most sought-after period for serious collectors. See 7 Points, Point 3.
Ko-wakizashi A short wakizashi.
Kozuka A small utility knife that fits into a pocket in the scabbard.
Kuri-jiri A rounded asymmetrical tang end resembling a chestnut shape.
Kurikata The knob on the side of the scabbard for the belt cord.

M

Machi Notches in the blade to stop the habaki. The edge side is the hamachi; the back side is the munemachi.
Machi-okuri When the notches have been moved up the blade.
Maki-ito The braid for wrapping handles.
Masame-hada Straight grain. One of the most distinctive and admired jihada types – characteristic of the Yamato tradition.
Mei Signature. See Parts of a Japanese Sword.
Mekugi The peg holding the handle onto the tang. See Parts of a Japanese Sword.
Mekugi-ana The hole for the mekugi.
Menuki Ornaments under the handle wrapping to improve grip. See Parts of a Japanese Sword.
Midareba Irregular hamon patterns.
Midare-chôji Irregular clove shapes in the hamon.
Mihaba The general width of the blade from the back edge to the cutting edge.
Mitsu-mune A three-surface back edge of the blade.
Mizukagi The white diagonal stripe at the base of a re-tempered blade.
Mokume-hada A burl wood grain hada.
Mono-uchi The striking area of the blade – generally 12-16cm below the point. See Parts of a Japanese Sword.
Moroha A double-edged sword.
Motohaba The width of the blade measured at the habaki(collar).
Mumei A blade without a signature. An unsigned sword is not a lesser sword – in certain traditions, a signed blade is actually the exception. See 7 Points, Point 5.
Mune The back edge of the blade. See Parts of a Japanese Sword.
Munemachi The notch in the back of the blade to stop the habaki.
Muneyaki A temper pattern along the back edge of the blade.
Musori A blade without curvature (sori).

N

Nagamaki A type of koshirae for a naginata in which the hilt was wrapped with cord or leather.
Nagasa The length of the blade. See Parts of a Japanese Sword.
Naginata A long hafted sword used in large sweeping strokes. Many naginata were later shortened to katana or wakizashi length – known as naginata-naoshi. See 7 Points, Point 2.
Nakago The tang of the blade – the part that fits into the handle. Never polished, it is one of the most reliable guides to a sword’s age. See 7 Points, Point 5.
Nakago-jiri The butt end of the tang.
Nakago-mune The back edge of the tang.
Namban-tetsu A general term for foreign steel.
Nambokuchô The period of the Northern and Southern dynasties, approximately 1333 to 1392. A period of intense warfare characterised by long, powerful blades with large ô-kissaki.
Naoshi Corrected or repaired.
Nie Martensite crystals formed during the heating and quenching process – large enough to be viewed as individual particles. See How Does a Japanese Sword Get So Hard and Sharp?
Nioi The same phenomenon as nie but at a finer scale – particles too small to be individually discernible, appearing like a mist or fog.
Notare A hamon outline that is wave-like.

O

Ô-chôji A hamon of large clove patterns.
Omote The side of the sword facing away from the body when worn. The opposite side is the ura.
Origami A certificate of appraisal. Refers to NBTHK and NTHK-NPO authentication certificates. See NBTHK Certification Rankings.
Orikaeshi-mei A blade signature folded onto the opposite side of the tang when the blade is shortened.
Oshigata A rubbing of the inscription on the tang, used in documentation and on NBTHK Jûyô certificates.
Ô-suriage A blade that has been greatly shortened, losing all or most of the original tang.
Ô-wakizashi A longer wakizashi, almost two shaku (60.6cm) in length.

S

Sageo The cord or braid attached to the kurikata on the scabbard.
Saiha A re-tempered edge.
Saka-chôji Clove shapes slanting down toward the base of the blade.
Saki-haba The width of the blade at the kissaki (point).
Saki-zori Curvature with the more pronounced curve toward the point. Tends to suggest a later sword.
Same Ray fish skin used on sword handles and sometimes scabbards.
Samurai The elite warrior class of Japanese feudal society (1185-1868), guided by the code of Bushidô. The term derives from the Japanese verb saburau – “one who serves.” Not merely fighters, the samurai were also men of culture. See 7 Points, Point 1.
Sanbonsugi A “three-tree” hamon pattern. The Mino swordsmith Kanemoto was famous for this distinctive style.
Saya The scabbard or sheath. See Parts of a Japanese Sword.
Sayagaki An inscription written on the shirasaya by a scholar, recording the sword’s attribution, period and other details. A sayagaki by Tanobe-sensei or Kanzan-sensei adds significant historical and scholarly value.
Seppa Washers used to fill the space between the tsuba and the sword.
Seppuku Ritual suicide by disembowelment. A practice of the samurai class, performed to avoid capture or to restore honour.
Shaku The Japanese unit of measurement equalling 30.3cm (11.93 inches). A tanto measures less than 1 shaku, a wakizashi between 1 and 2 shaku, and a katana is 2 shaku or more.
Shinae Small cross-wise cracks in a blade. A flaw.
Shinogi Ridges on each side of the blade. See Parts of a Japanese Sword.
Shinogi-zukuri Swords made with a ridgeline – the most prevalent type.
Shintô “New swords” – swords produced between approximately 1600 and 1780. See 7 Points, Point 3.
Shintoism The Japanese spiritual tradition devoted to invisible beings and powers called kami. Shinto has no known founder or single sacred scripture, and emphasises man’s essential goodness.
Shinshintô “New-new swords” – swords made between approximately 1781 and 1876, when smiths consciously attempted to revive the traditions of the kôtô masters. See 7 Points, Point 3.
Shirasaya A plain magnolia wood scabbard used for long-term storage. We refer to the shirasaya as the “humidor” for a Japanese sword – it absorbs moisture and preserves the steel. See 7 Points, Point 6.
Shôwa-tô Handmade blades produced after 1926.
Sori The curvature of the sword. See Parts of a Japanese Sword.
Suguba A straight hamon paralleling the edge curve. A perfectly executed suguba is a masterpiece of restraint.
Sunagashi Sweeping lines along the hamon like floating sand ridges.
Sun-nobi Longer than average wakizashi or tanto.
Suriage A shortened blade, generally cut from the base. See Parts of a Japanese Sword.

T

Tachi Long swords slung blade-down, carried mainly on horseback. Primarily produced during the Heian (794-1185) and Kamakura (1185-1333) periods. The pinnacle of Japanese sword collecting. See 7 Points, Point 2.
Tachi-kake A sword rack or stand for a tachi, displaying the blade facing downward.
Tachi-mei A signature on the side of the tang facing away from the body when the blade is worn slung with the cutting edge down.
Tamahagane Literally “jewel steel” – the raw steel used to make a Japanese sword, produced in a tatara clay furnace from iron sand and charcoal. See How Does a Japanese Sword Get So Hard and Sharp?
Tameshigiri A cutting test performed on a sword, sometimes recorded in gold or silver inlay on the nakago. A tameshigiri inscription is a highly collectible feature. See our available swords for examples.
Tantô Short daggers less than one shaku in length (30.3cm). See 7 Points, Point 2.
Togi Polish on a sword.
Torii-zori A blade curve with the deepest point in the centre of the blade.
Tsuba The sword guard. See Parts of a Japanese Sword.
Tsuka The sword handle (hilt). See Parts of a Japanese Sword.
Tsuka-ito The braid for wrapping the handle, normally made of silk.
Tsuka-maki The sword handle wrapping.
Tsunagi A wooden “mirror” sword used to keep the koshirae intact when the blade is housed in a shirasaya.

U

Ubu-nakago An original unaltered tang – always a positive sign. The term confirms the sword has not been shortened from its original length.
Uchizori A curve that bends slightly toward rather than away from the cutting edge.
Ura The side of the sword next to the body when worn. The opposite side is the omote.
Utsuri A misty reflection found in the ji and shinogi. These faint lines appear to reflect the hamon and are a mark of quality in Bizen and certain other traditions.

W

Wakizashi A medium-length sword between one and two shaku (30.3-60.6cm). The constant companion of the samurai – carried at all times, including indoors. See 7 Points, Point 2.
Wari-kôgai A kôgai split to form a pair of chopsticks.

Y

Yaki-ire The quenching process – the moment a heated blade is plunged into water to harden the cutting edge. The single most critical step in making a Japanese sword. See How Does a Japanese Sword Get So Hard and Sharp?
Yakiba The tempered surface along the cutting edge.
Yakidashi The section of the hamon near the tang.
Yakinaoshi Re-tempered blades.
Yari A spear.
Yasuri-me File marks on the tang. The pattern and direction of the file marks is an important indicator of period and school.
Yokote The line separating the blade from the point section. See Parts of a Japanese Sword.
Yûki (勇気) Courage. From Prince Mito, as quoted in Nitobe’s Bushidô: “It is true courage to live when it is right to live, and to die only when it is right to die.”

Z

Zaimei A tang with a signature present.
Zen A form of Buddhist meditation practice. From Lafcadio Hearn: “Zen represents human effort to reach through meditation zones of thought beyond the range of verbal expression.”

Further Reading
Parts of a Japanese Sword and Mountings Illustrated diagrams of all blade and koshirae components with English labels
How Does a Japanese Sword Get So Hard and Sharp? The science of tamahagane, differential hardening and yaki-ire explained
7 Points to Consider When Choosing Your Japanese Sword A practical guide to all key factors in sword selection
NBTHK Certification Rankings Hozon, Tokubetsu Hozon, Jûyô and Tokubetsu Jûyô explained