dagger(katana)
Originally, the term “sword” was used to refer to all Japanese swords, including the tachi, uchigatana (sword), wakizashi (sword), and tanto (short sword), but since the Muromachi period (1333-1573), only the uchigatana has been referred to as a sword. The uchitō is a sword evolved from the tachi, with a blade length of approximately 2 shaku 3 sun to 2 shaku 4 sun (70-73 cm). During the Muromachi period (1333-1573), warfare shifted from one-on-one cavalry battles to group battles (kachi ikusa), and the uchigatana was created as a shorter sword with a shallower warp than the tachi so that the blade could be quickly removed from its sheath when fighting the enemy in front of one’s eyes. It is characterized by the fact that it is carried in a waist belt with the blade facing upward.
