Parts of a Katana and the Types of Japanese Swords, Explained
Every big anime sword fight seems to come down to a katana: Tanjiro's black Nichirin blade, Zoro's three swords, Kenshin's reverse-blade sword. Once you know what each part of a katana is called, you start spotting them everywhere, from the shape of a tsuba to the wave of a hamon along the edge.
This guide puts every part of a katana on one labelled diagram, then walks through the types of Japanese swords, from the tanto dagger to the odachi great sword. It also answers the two comparisons we get asked about most: katana vs tachi, and katana vs wakizashi.
What Is a Katana?
A katana is a curved, single-edged Japanese long sword with a blade longer than 2 shaku (about 60 cm). It is worn thrust through the belt with the cutting edge facing up, so it can be drawn and used in one movement. It became the main samurai sword from around the 15th century, taking over from the older tachi.
How long is a katana? Most katana blades are about 70 cm (around 28 inches). Add the handle and a katana is usually 100 to 105 cm long overall. For example, our handmade Tanjiro and Giyu katanas are 104 cm overall, with a 69 cm blade and a 28 cm handle.
Parts of a Katana (Labelled Diagram)
The parts of a katana: the assembled sword, the blade with its handle off, and the scabbard.
A katana has two halves: the blade, and the mounting it sits in (the koshirae), which is the handle, the guard and the scabbard. Here is every part, from the point back to the end of the scabbard.
The Blade
- Kissaki: the point. Its size and shape changed from era to era, so collectors use it to help date a blade.
- Yokote: the line across the blade that separates the point from the rest of the blade.
- Ha: the cutting edge.
- Mune: the spine, the thick back of the blade opposite the edge.
- Shinogi: the ridge line running along each side of the blade, between the edge and the spine.
- Hamon: the temper line, the misty wave you can see along the edge. Before the blade is quenched, the smith coats it in clay, thinly along the edge and thickly on the body. The edge cools fast and turns very hard, while the spine stays softer and tougher. The boundary between the two is the hamon, and no two smiths' patterns look the same.
- Hi: a groove running along some blades. It is often called a "blood groove", but it is there to make the blade lighter.
- Habaki: the metal collar at the base of the blade. It wedges the sword snugly into the scabbard so it can't slide out, and holds the guard in place.
- Nakago: the tang, the part of the blade hidden inside the handle. The smith signs it (the mei), and a hole through it (the mekugi-ana) takes the peg that locks the handle on.
The Tsuba (Katana Guard)
The tsuba is the guard between the handle and the blade. It stops the hand sliding onto the edge and helps balance the sword. Most are round or rounded squares, and old tsuba are collected as works of art in their own right. Thin washers called seppa sit on each side of the tsuba to keep everything tight.
Tanjiro's round, spoked tsuba on our Tanjiro Kamado Real Steel Katana
The Tsuka (Katana Handle)
- Tsuka: the handle, a wooden core shaped around the tang.
- Same (samegawa): ray skin glued over the wood. It is the pale skin you see showing through the diamonds of the wrap.
- Tsuka-ito: the cord wrapped over the ray skin in a criss-cross, which gives the handle its diamond pattern and its grip.
- Menuki: small metal ornaments under the wrap, one on each side, that fill the palm and add decoration.
- Fuchi and kashira: the metal collar at the guard end of the handle, and the cap at the far end.
- Mekugi: the small bamboo peg through the handle and the tang. Push it out and the whole sword comes apart, which is how a katana is taken down for cleaning.
The Saya (Katana Sheath)
- Saya: the scabbard, traditionally lacquered wood.
- Koiguchi: the mouth of the scabbard, where the blade goes in.
- Kurikata: the knob on the side of the scabbard that the cord passes through.
- Sageo: the cord, used to tie the scabbard to the belt (obi) so it stays put when the sword is drawn.
- Kojiri: the cap on the end of the scabbard.
Hand Woven Sageo for a Katana Scabbard
What Does "Full Tang" Mean?
"Full tang" means the steel of the blade runs all the way down through the handle in one piece, rather than stopping at the guard. A traditional katana is built this way, with the tang held in the handle by the mekugi. It matters most when you are buying a replica: a full-tang sword is far sturdier than one whose blade is only fixed into the handle at the guard.
Types of Japanese Swords
Japanese swords are grouped mainly by blade length, measured in shaku (1 shaku is 30.3 cm), and by how they were worn.
The main types of Japanese swords by blade length.
| Type | Blade length | How it was carried | What it was |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tanto | Under 30 cm | Through the belt | Dagger |
| Wakizashi | 30 to 60 cm | Through the belt, next to the katana | Short companion sword |
| Katana | Over 60 cm, most about 70 cm | Through the belt, edge up | The main samurai sword from about the 15th century |
| Uchigatana | Over 60 cm | Through the belt, edge up | The early form of the katana |
| Tachi | Over 60 cm, often longer | Hung from the belt, edge down | The older long sword of mounted samurai |
| Kodachi | Just under 60 cm | Hung like a tachi | A short tachi |
| Odachi / Nodachi | Over 90 cm | On the back or in the hand | Battlefield great sword |
| Nagamaki | Long blade, very long handle | In the hand | Half sword, half polearm |
| Naginata | Curved blade on a pole | In the hand | Polearm |
Tachi
The tachi came before the katana. It was the long sword of mounted samurai, worn hanging from the belt with the edge facing down, and it was usually more deeply curved. The katana and tachi are so alike in length that the main difference is how they were worn (see katana vs tachi below).
Uchigatana
The uchigatana was a sword worn through the belt with the edge up, which caught on as more fighting was done on foot. The katana grew out of it, and today the two names are often used for the same sword.
Wakizashi
The wakizashi is the short sword, with a blade of 1 to 2 shaku (about 30 to 60 cm). A samurai wore it alongside the katana, and could keep it on indoors when the long sword was left at the door.
Tanto
The tanto is a dagger with a blade under 1 shaku (about 30 cm), made for close quarters. The angled "tanto point" on many modern knives takes its name from it.
Odachi and Nodachi
The odachi ("great sword") is a huge sword with a blade over 3 shaku (about 90 cm), and some are far longer. Nodachi ("field sword") is used for the same kind of sword, so the two names are mostly interchangeable. They were too long to draw from the hip, so they were carried on the back or in the hand.
Kodachi
The kodachi ("small tachi") has a blade just under 2 shaku (about 60 cm), so it sits between the wakizashi and the tachi, and was mounted and worn like a tachi.
Nagamaki
The nagamaki puts a long sword blade on a handle about as long as the blade itself. It sits between a sword and a polearm.
Naginata
The naginata is a polearm: a curved blade on a long wooden shaft. Strictly it isn't a sword, but it is one of the best-known Japanese blades, and it was the weapon women of samurai families trained with.
Ninjato
The ninjato is the short, straight-bladed sword that films give to ninja. There is very little historical evidence for it; the sword most of us picture comes from 20th-century movies and books.
Shirasaya
A shirasaya isn't a type of sword but a plain wooden mounting, with no guard and no wrap, used to store a blade safely while its fighting fittings are off.
Daisho
Daisho ("big and small") is the matched pair of a katana and a wakizashi. In the Edo period (1603 to 1868) wearing the daisho was the mark of the samurai class.
Katana vs Tachi
| Katana | Tachi | |
|---|---|---|
| How it was worn | Through the belt, edge up | Hung from the belt by cords, edge down |
| When | From about the 15th century | Earlier, the age of mounted samurai |
| Curve | Usually shallower | Usually deeper, strongest near the handle |
| Signature | On the side of the tang facing out when worn edge up | On the opposite side, facing out when worn edge down |
| Blade length | Over 60 cm, most about 70 cm | Over 60 cm, often longer |
Many old tachi were later cut down and remounted as katana, which is one reason the two names blur. If you want to know how a blade was meant to be worn, the side the smith signed it on is the giveaway.
Katana vs Wakizashi (and Wakizashi vs Tanto)
It comes down to length. A katana's blade is over 2 shaku (about 60 cm), a wakizashi's is 1 to 2 shaku (about 30 to 60 cm), and a tanto's is under 1 shaku (about 30 cm). The katana was the main fighting sword; the wakizashi was its partner in the daisho, a backup and the sword kept on indoors; the tanto was a dagger.
What Type Is Your Favourite Anime Sword?
- Tanjiro's Nichirin blade (Demon Slayer): a katana. Our Tanjiro Kamado Real Steel Katana has a 69 cm blade, right in the katana range.
- Kenshin's Sakabato (Rurouni Kenshin): a katana with the edge and the spine swapped, so the cutting edge is on the back of the blade. It lets Kenshin fight without killing. See our Rurouni Kenshin Sakabato Katana.
- Zoro's three swords (One Piece): all katana, including the white Wado Ichimonji.
- Raiden Shogun's Engulfing Lightning (Genshin Impact): a naginata. We carry a foam Engulfing Lightning naginata for cosplay.
- Sephiroth's Masamune (Final Fantasy VII): a katana-style blade stretched to far beyond odachi length.
Rurouni Kenshin Sakabato Katana
Thinking of Buying a Replica Katana?
- Sharp or blunt? Our steel swords are made for display and cosplay. Each product page states the blade edge under its specifications, and our handmade katanas are listed with a blunt edge.
- Carbon steel is heavier and sturdier than the wood, plastic or PU used for most cosplay props. Check the page for full tang too.
- Care: carbon steel can rust if it's left damp. Wipe the blade with a soft dry cloth after handling, keep a light coat of oil on it, and store it in its scabbard somewhere dry. Our Japanese Sword Cleaning Kit has what you need.
- Display: a katana wall rack keeps it off the floor and on show.
- The law: rules on owning and carrying swords differ by country, state and city, so check your local laws before you order. This is general information, not legal advice.
Japanese Sword Cleaning Kit with Wooden Case
FAQ
How long is a katana?
Most katana blades are about 70 cm (28 inches), and anything over 2 shaku (about 60 cm) counts. With the handle, a katana is usually 100 to 105 cm long overall.
What is the guard on a katana called?
The tsuba. The thin washers on either side of it are the seppa.
What is the handle of a katana called?
The tsuka. Its cord wrap is the tsuka-ito, the ray skin under it is the same, and the end cap is the kashira.
What is the sheath of a katana called?
The saya. Its mouth is the koiguchi, the cord is the sageo, and the end cap is the kojiri.
What is the hamon on a katana?
The visible line between the hardened edge and the softer body of the blade. It comes from coating the blade in clay before quenching, and every smith's pattern is different.
What is the difference between a katana and a tachi?
Mainly how they were worn: a katana edge up through the belt, a tachi edge down hanging from it. Tachi are older and usually more curved.
Are odachi and nodachi the same?
Mostly, yes. Both names are used for very long Japanese swords with blades over 3 shaku (about 90 cm).
So, the short answer: a katana is a blade (kissaki to nakago) in a handle (tsuka), with a guard (tsuba), sitting in a scabbard (saya), and it is one of a family of Japanese swords told apart by length and by how they were worn. Browse our anime katanas to see these parts on the swords of your favourite characters.
Diagrams: The Anime Supply.