Wakizashi facts for kids

The wakizashi is a traditional Japanese sword. It's shorter than the katana, another famous Japanese sword. In the early 17th century, it was sometimes called a kodachi. Samurai often carried both swords together. The wakizashi was used for close-up fighting or when the katana was too long. These swords were usually between 30 and 60 centimeters (12 to 24 inches) long. A small version was called a "ko-wakizashi", and a longer one was called an "o-wakizashi".

What is a Wakizashi?

A wakizashi had a slightly curved blade and a square-shaped handle, called a hilt. The hilt and the scabbard (the case where the sword is kept) were often beautifully decorated. The scabbard, known as a "saya", was made to look like the katana's but sometimes had extra pockets. These pockets could hold smaller knives or even a hair arranger.

The katana and wakizashi together are called a daishō. This word means "large and small". The "dai" part means "big" and stands for the katana. The "sho" part means "small" and stands for the wakizashi. The wakizashi was often more decorated and thinner than the katana. This made it good for cutting through softer things. It was used to make quick, dangerous cuts at weak points on an enemy. Having both swords gave a samurai a big advantage in battle. With them, a samurai could fight enemies from about 1 to 3.5 meters (2 to 7 feet) away. Miyamoto Musashi, a very famous Japanese samurai, was especially skilled at using the daishō.

Samurai Traditions

The wakizashi was a very important weapon for a samurai. According to tradition, when a samurai entered a house or building, they would leave their katana with a servant. However, they could keep their wakizashi with them at all times. This is why the wakizashi is often called the samurai's side arm. The wakizashi stayed close to its master, even when they went to sleep, usually kept near the bed.

Samurai usually carried the wakizashi along their thigh. It was often used with one hand, while the other hand held the katana. The wakizashi was very useful when the katana was too long or heavy to use easily. The wakizashi needed less strength to use and was much easier to move around.

The wakizashi was also the sword used by merchants and artisans (skilled craftspeople). These groups were not allowed to carry a katana. This is why more wakizashi swords have been found than katanas. Even though the katana had a greater meaning for Japanese society, the wakizashi was more common among different people.

Images for kids

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  A Daito (top) and wakizashi (bottom) in the form of a daishō, showing the difference in size.

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  An antique Japanese wakizashi with koshirae and related parts, shown dis-assembled. The hamon (temper line) is clearly visible.

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  Wakisashi by Sanpin Masatoshi, early 1600s. The disasembled koshirae shows the tsuba (guard), the twin kōgai (hair pin) and the Kozuka (small knife). On display at the British Museum.

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  Wakizashi Edo period

See also

In Spanish: Wakizashi para niños