short-bladed Japanese sword; carried along with a katana by samurai
a samurai's short sword, part of the daisho; the "soul" of the samurai, used in seppuku
a smaller version of the katana used as a back up weapon or along with the katana in what is known as a daisho, or a sword set
a traditional Japanese sword with a shoto blade, similar to, but shorted than a katana
short sword worn by samurai that accompanied the katana. It's length was 16 to 20 inches long and was the favored and documented weapon of seppuku.
Short sword; the "sho" of the dai-sho.
A medium length Japanese sword.
1. shorter of the two swords which make up the Japanese dai-sho 2. used in ritualistic suicide 3. African sword with a tanged metal blade fitted into a plain wooden hilt
The (meaning "side arm") is a traditional Japanese sword with a shÅtÅ blade between 30 and 60 cm (12 and 24 inches), with an average of 50 cm (20 inches). It is similar to but shorter than a katana, and sometimes longer than the kodachi ("small sword"). The wakizashi was usually worn together with the katana by the samurai or swordsmen of feudal Japan.
