short sword(Tantou)
A general term for short swords with little or no warp and less than 1 shaku (about 30 cm) in length. During the Kamakura to Muromachi periods, swords were used in kumiai (fighting with the enemy) and for seizing the enemy’s head. After the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1568-1600), it is said that its use on the battlefield decreased, but since the Edo period (1603-1867), it has been valued as a sword for self-defense that even women and children could easily handle. It is also called “futokoro ga nana” or “koshi-gatana” (meaning “waist sword”) because it was carried at the waist with the blade facing upward. It is also called koshigatana (腰刀) or koshirae (こしらえ). The name “koshirae” also refers to the sword’s exterior, such as the scabbard and handle.
