Japanese Wakizashi

The Wakizashi: The Samurai’s Companion Sword

The Wakizashi (脇差), meaning “side-inserted sword,” is a traditional Japanese short sword. It is most famously known as the companion sword to the Katana. Together, the two swords formed the daishō (大小, “big-little”), the iconic pairing that symbolized the honor, status, and personal armament of the samurai in feudal Japan.

History

The wakizashi emerged around the 15th or 16th century. Its role became formally established during the Edo Period (1603-1868), when the ruling shogunate passed laws requiring samurai to wear the daishō as a visible sign of their rank.

Unlike the longer katana, which was exclusively for the samurai class, the wakizashi was sometimes permitted to be carried by members of the merchant and artisan classes for self-defense. This made it a more common blade outside of the samurai caste. The era of the wakizashi as a practical weapon ended with the Meiji Restoration in 1868, which banned the public wearing of swords and dissolved the samurai class.

Use and Function

The wakizashi was a versatile and essential tool for a samurai:

• Backup Weapon: It served as a secondary weapon on the battlefield if the katana was lost or broken.

• Close-Quarters Combat: Its shorter blade (typically 30-60 cm or 12-24 inches) was far more effective than a katana for fighting indoors, in tight alleys, or in any situation where a long sword was too cumbersome.

• The “Companion Sword”: When a samurai entered a private home or castle, he would leave his katana at the door as a sign of respect, but he would keep his wakizashi with him for personal protection.

• Ritual Suicide: The wakizashi was the preferred blade for the ritual suicide of seppuku (also known as hara-kiri).

The Makers (Swordsmiths)

Wakizashi were not made by a separate class of smiths; they were crafted by the very same master swordsmiths (kaji) and renowned schools that produced katana. The quality of a wakizashi was just as important as that of its longer counterpart.

• The Five Traditions (Gokaden): All the major swordsmithing schools produced exceptional wakizashi. These include the famous traditions of Bizen, Soshu, Mino, Yamashiro, and Yamato, each known for its unique style of forging, steel pattern (hada), and temper line (hamon).

• Famous Smiths: While legendary smiths like Masamune and Muramasa are primarily famous for their katana, they and their students also forged exquisite wakizashi. The value of a wakizashi is determined by the skill of its maker, its condition, and its historical significance, just like a katana.