Japan is a country of long traditions where hundreds of years of accumulated knowledge and experience are transferred from the master and teacher to the student. From flower arrangements of ikebana to martial arts and kabuki theater, each tradition has its own set of rules, procedures, schools of styles. Japanese knives are one of the integral parts of culture, the history of which dates back more than a thousand years.
Start
The manufacture of knives in Japan is directly related to the production of swords, since the former most often acted as an addition to noble weapons.
The earliest examples of modern Japanese swords date back to the 14th century and were made by Kaneuji and Kinju. Although they were originally intended for nobles or military ranks, during the Muromachi period (1392–1573) katana swords began to be mass-produced for trade.
At the beginning of the 14th century, Japan opened its trading ports for the Ming Dynasty (China) after complete isolation. It is reported that during the Muromachi period, more than one hundred thousand katanas were exported to China.
During the period of civil strife, called Sengoku Jidai (war period 1467-1568), the Mino blacksmiths in Seki faced incredibly high demand for katana from various regimes. In parallel with the swords, a great variety of Japanese combat knives were produced. The names of some of them are known to many lovers of the culture and history of the Land of the Rising Sun.
Higonokami
It was one of Japan's most popular combat knives, losing ground after World War II. After the incident in 1961, when a 17-year-old boy with mental disorders publicly killed the leader of a socialist party with a sword, an intense anti-knife campaign was launched across the country. Since then it has been forbidden to carry this weapon.
Almost all blacksmiths needed to find another job, because their profession remained unclaimed (production of swords was forbidden after the Second World War). Love for Higonokami was supported by people with nostalgic feelings and childhood memories. Today, he has lost his popularity, and the youth of Japan hardly knows what the Higonokami are.
He is called the Katana's younger brother. In fact, this knife is a trademark. Some blacksmiths still make such tools, but they are just replicas, but not classic higonokami. Of all the pre-existing guilds that had the right to make this knife, there was only one blacksmith left: Motosuke Nagao from Miki. He represents the fourth generation of blacksmiths.
The historical, classic blade of the Higonokami can be recognized by several signs:
- A pen made of a folded brass plate with kanji print indicating the name of the manufacturer and the steel of the blade: sanmai with the edge of the aogi (blue paper).
- The presence of chikiri (lever) on the blade to open the knife.
- Lack of locking system.
- The blade completely disappears in the handle when the knife is closed.
- The knife is always packed in a blue and gold box.
The history of the folding knife with the Higonoks is much longer than you might imagine at first glance. She returns to the beginning of the Samurai era.
Tanto
This is one of the most famous military blades in the world, which could be used in martial arts or, in our time, as a tactical one. The Japanese tanto knife was invented during the Heian period in feudal Japan. It was created primarily as a stabbing weapon, but its blade could also be used for chopping.
It was mainly worn by samurai, but sometimes women hid them in their obi to use for self-defense. You can get an idea of how he looks by looking at a photo of a Japanese tanto combat knife. During the Kamakura period, its blades were made in such a way as to be aesthetically more attractive, which contributed to the growth of their popularity. However, their demand declined after the reunification of Japan, since in peacetime there is no need for blades.
Evolution
This Japanese combat knife can be either one-sided or double-edged. The length of the blade is from fifteen to thirty centimeters. Like most knives, it can be used with both stabbing and chopping weapons.
Tanto first appeared between 794 and 1185 as a regular weapon without artistic excesses: a practical blade born of necessity. Between 1185 and 1333, better and more artistic tantos began to be created. It is interesting that when new hostilities began from 1336 to 1573, the quality of the weapons used for military purposes increased again, and the artistic decoration ceased to have such significance and was used very rarely. Due to the mass production of tanto during this period of time, the blade was already made, which saved material for the production of more units.
These military Japanese knives were forged, as a rule, in such a way that on the blade, unlike the katana, no zone line for hardening the weapon (jamon) was visible. They were mainly worn by samurai warriors. Women used a smaller version of the tanto called kaiken for self-defense. These Japanese combat knives fall into two categories: suguta tanto and koshirae tanto.
Using tanto to kill seppuku
It is believed that this combat Japanese knife was used by women to avoid dishonor, such as rape or servitude in the occupying army. With it, they committed a ritual suicide known as seppuku. However, this does not apply to men who usually used a longer wakizashi for this purpose.
Aigouti
In Japan, aiguchi (aikuchi) is a dagger that did not have a tsuba (an analog guard that protects the hand). He was considered a backup weapon, which was used if during the battle had to engage in battle. In addition, this knife, which stood after the tati, katana and wakizashi in importance, was also used by the samurai warrior to commit suicide.
It was sometimes made from longer broken blades or from blades which, after passing through yaki-iri (the hardening process), were not of high quality, suitable for katana. Changing the shape of the Japanese combat knife aiguchi was achieved by cutting the tip and changing the configuration of the canvas with polishing stones. Thus, there was no need to pass it through the forge a second time. Most Japanese combat knives of this type have handles of bone or horn, decorated with carvings.
Collectors are sometimes called aiguchi hocho tetsu, or "kitchen steel." This is the most derogatory term used in relation to blades. Nevertheless, the aiguchi served its purpose as the “last line of defense” and also had artistic value, thanks to its unique carving.
Kozuka
This ancient Japanese combat knife, the photo of which is presented below, was used as a cold or throwing weapon. In everyday life, it is often used for cutting food. Thus, it was universal.
Kozuka was usually worn in a special pocket on the back of the sheath of a sword or dagger (called the kozukabitsu). The blade was a small universal knife about twenty centimeters in size (including the hilt and blade). Its blade is quite flat and, as a rule, sharpened only on one side, has a short shank inserted into the handle.
Due to the poor balance resulting from his decoration and the fact that the knife was simply inserted into the handle, it was difficult to throw it exactly like a shuriken, and its main function was still not throwing. It was used for self-defense when nothing else was at hand, but the blade was rather weak. But still, many collectors are happy to purchase such a knife.
Yeroy-dosi - “dagger of mercy”
These blades first appeared at the end of the Kamakura period (1185–1333), but most were made during the Muromachi period (Sengoku Jidai or the Warring States Period, 1336–1573) in response to the need for good weapons that can be used to combat those dressed in armor opponents. In yeroy-dosi, the blade tapers toward the tip, which resembles a spike slightly inclined towards the tip. The blade of the blade was, as a rule, triangular in cross section.
Until the XVII century, this knife with a reinforced point was used by samurai to penetrate enemy armor. Sometimes it was used by asigaru (foot soldiers). But basically it was the weapon of the samurai, who attacked the weaknesses of opponents, combining them with empty-handed fighting techniques in a style called yeru-kumi-uchi (literally, “the battle in armor”).
This knife is somewhat reminiscent of a tanto, but with a stronger and thicker blade. The heavy-armored samurai were somewhat limited in mobility and speed, but they were practically immune to strikes without weapons, as armor covered their entire body. Empty-handed jujutsu techniques were initially limited to grappling, pushing, unbalancing, and throwing, although some applied empty-handed punches to certain areas that weren’t well protected by armor, such as armpits. Thus, yeroy-dosi was designed to pierce armor or strike between small spaces in armor. And also it was used to kill the wounded.
The decline in popularity of yeroy dosi
After 1603, since the start of the Tokugawa shogunate, samurai no longer wore full armor daily. The most common knives were tanto, hamidashi and aiguchi, any of which could be used as a complement to katana and wakizashi. Toward the end of the Tokugawa period, many tanto-jitsu schools began to attach particular importance to the cut-and-cut style of knife fighting, which was different from the previous method of delivering the last blow through armor. One of the schools that still teaches this martial art is Yagyu Shingan-ryu in Japan.
The technique involves removing the enemy from balance, then immersing the knife in a weak spot in the armor, which is much easier said than done. As with any complex tanto-jitsu, the trick is to control the enemy during the strike. This is especially difficult to do, because the free landing of the Hero does not provide a reliable hold in the hand, not to mention its normal resistance to penetration.
Kaiken
This is the combat dagger of women. It was used by the representatives of the aristocracy as a knife for suicide with an encroachment on their honor. Kwaiken (or kaiken) is a “pocket knife” or “sleeve knife” originally worn by women. The name means "bosom knife." He later became part of the samurai gear.
It was a small knife worn in the inside pocket of a kimono sleeve or lapel. It was used for cutting threads, small improvised work, as well as in emergency cases for self-defense. Another use came from the samurai tradition: it was used by women for ritual suicide. With its help, veins and arteries of the neck quickly cut through.
