Tantō: Difference between revisions
imported>Sol Pacificus Technically citations in the intro are supposed to be omitted if the same info is cited in the body so as to keep the intro as clean as possible. This is a wiki standard. But I was a bit confused here. Sora's line about tradespeople using it for self-defence in the Sengoku period doesn't reappear in the body even though it's similar to another statement I make; I wanted to preserve other citations for the <30 cm but the others don't mention it being a *legal definition*, etc. |
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[[File:ACSh Fujibayashi Naoe's tanto.png|thumb|250px|Fujibayashi Naoe's tanto]] | [[File:ACSh Fujibayashi Naoe's tanto.png|thumb|250px|Fujibayashi Naoe's tanto]] | ||
A '''''tantō''''' (短刀, <small>lit.</small> 'short blade') is a [[Japan]]ese sword or [[short blade|dagger]] with a blade shorter than 30 centimeters in length.<ref name="Yumoto">Yumoto, J. M. (2013). ''Samurai Sword: A Handbook''. Rutland, VT: Tuttle Publishing.</ref><ref name="Weapon dict">Ichikawa Sadaharu [市川定春]. (2023). "Daggers" [匕首]. In ''Dictionary of the Weapon'' [武器事典] (3rd ed.), translated by Lin Tsit-i [林哲逸] and Kao Yin-liang [高胤喨]. Taipei, Taiwan: Cite Publishing Ltd., pp. 79–111.</ref><ref name="Japanese swords">Kapp, Leon and Kapp, Hiroko. (2012). "Rekishi: A Brief History of the Japanese Sword". In ''The Art of the Japanese Sword: The Craft of Swordmaking and its Appreciation''. Tokyo, Japan: Tuttle Publishing, pp. 69–104</ref> It was utilized as an auxiliary weapon by the [[samurai]] alongside their [[katana]], as well as by women and tradespeople for personal defense during the [[Sengoku period]].<ref name="Deal">Deal, W. E. (2006). ''Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan''. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.</ref> [[Ninja]] such as the [[Assassins]] [[Fujibayashi Naoe]] and [[Mochizuki Chiyome]] also used | A '''''tantō''''' (短刀, <small>lit.</small> 'short blade') is a [[Japan]]ese sword or [[short blade|dagger]] with a blade shorter than 30 centimeters in length.<ref name="Yumoto">Yumoto, J. M. (2013). ''Samurai Sword: A Handbook''. Rutland, VT: Tuttle Publishing.</ref><ref name="Weapon dict">Ichikawa Sadaharu [市川定春]. (2023). "Daggers" [匕首]. In ''Dictionary of the Weapon'' [武器事典] (3rd ed.), translated by Lin Tsit-i [林哲逸] and Kao Yin-liang [高胤喨]. Taipei, Taiwan: Cite Publishing Ltd., pp. 79–111.</ref><ref name="Japanese swords">Kapp, Leon and Kapp, Hiroko. (2012). "Rekishi: A Brief History of the Japanese Sword". In ''The Art of the Japanese Sword: The Craft of Swordmaking and its Appreciation''. Tokyo, Japan: Tuttle Publishing, pp. 69–104</ref> It was utilized as an auxiliary weapon by the [[samurai]] alongside their [[katana]], as well as by women and tradespeople for personal defense during the [[Sengoku period]].<ref name="Deal">Deal, W. E. (2006). ''Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan''. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.</ref> [[Ninja]] such as the [[Assassins]] [[Fujibayashi Naoe]] and [[Mochizuki Chiyome]] also used it prolifically in their operations. | ||
==Description== | ==Description== | ||
Revision as of 05:14, 4 June 2024
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A tantō (短刀, lit. 'short blade') is a Japanese sword or dagger with a blade shorter than 30 centimeters in length.[1][2][3] It was utilized as an auxiliary weapon by the samurai alongside their katana, as well as by women and tradespeople for personal defense during the Sengoku period.[4] Ninja such as the Assassins Fujibayashi Naoe and Mochizuki Chiyome also used it prolifically in their operations.
Description
The term tantō literally translates to 'short blade', and the weapon is essentially a Japanese-style dagger. Since the enactment of the Firearm and Sword Possession Control Law in 1958[5] by the Japanese government, the tantō has been legally defined as any sword with a blade shorter than 30 centimeters, but historically many short swords exceeding this length were still classified as tantō. More precisely, the most typical tantō has a blade ranging from 24 to 25 cm in length, and these are specifically called jōsun-no-tantō (定寸の短刀, lit. 'standard-length short blades').[3]
Although tantō are sometimes described with a style of moderate curvature called uchizori (内反り, lit. 'inward-curving'), where the rear surface tapers toward the tip, they have always been forged with a straight back, or muzori (無反り, lit. 'no curvature'). Because the line between the flat side of the blade and the rear surface is weaker near the point, years of polishing and use will wear down at this spot faster, eventually giving the appearance of an uchizori blade.[3]
History
The history of the tantō goes as far back as the 3rd century BCE. Among its antecedents are ancient tōsu (刀子) and the Kamakura era sasuga (剌剣). Positive appraisal of the sasuga as a side-arm for spearmen in the chaos of battle led to the widespread adoption of the shorter tantō. It subsequently became a regular auxiliary weapon for warriors throughout the Sengoku period.[2] Iga shinobi were trained to utilize it to pierce through weak points in enemy armor,[6] and the Iga Assassin Fujibayashi Naoe wielded both a tantō[7] and a Pivot Blade in the design of a tantō.[7][8] Mochizuki Chiyome likewise also favored the weapon during her tenure as an Assassin.[9] Its weapon did not ebb even in the peaceful Edo period because nobles and women alike found it useful as a concealable self-defense weapon.[2]
Behind the scenes
The tantō will be a usable weapon in the 2024 video game Assassin's Creed: Shadows.[7][8]
Appearances
References
- ↑ Yumoto, J. M. (2013). Samurai Sword: A Handbook. Rutland, VT: Tuttle Publishing.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Ichikawa Sadaharu [市川定春]. (2023). "Daggers" [匕首]. In Dictionary of the Weapon [武器事典] (3rd ed.), translated by Lin Tsit-i [林哲逸] and Kao Yin-liang [高胤喨]. Taipei, Taiwan: Cite Publishing Ltd., pp. 79–111.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Kapp, Leon and Kapp, Hiroko. (2012). "Rekishi: A Brief History of the Japanese Sword". In The Art of the Japanese Sword: The Craft of Swordmaking and its Appreciation. Tokyo, Japan: Tuttle Publishing, pp. 69–104
- ↑ Deal, W. E. (2006). Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
- ↑
Firearm and Sword Possession Control Law on Wikipedia
- ↑ Turnbull, Stephen. (2019). "Ninja Weapons and How to Use Them". In Ninja: The (Unofficial) Secret Manual. London, UK: Thames & Hudson Ltd, pp. 112–131.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2
Assassin's Creed Shadows: Character Reference Guide on Ubisoft's official website (backup link)
- ↑ 8.0 8.1
Assassin's Creed Shadows Explained – Samurai, Shinobi, and Feudal Japan on the Ubisoft YouTube channel
- ↑ Assassin's Creed Roleplaying Game – Animus Training Program Quickstart: The Nanban Trade