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Firearms appeared in Japan around 1270, as primitive metal tubes invented in China and called teppō (鉄砲 lit. "iron cannon"). [3] [1] These weapons were very basic, as they had no trigger or sights, and could not be compared to the more advanced European weapons which were introduced in Japan more than 250 years later. [3]
The kanabō was also a mythical weapon, often used in tales by oni, who reputedly possessed superhuman strength. [7] [8] This is alluded to by the Japanese saying "like giving a kanabō to an oni " —meaning to give an extra advantage to someone who already has the advantage (i.e. the strong made stronger).
The weapons in this list of swords designated as National Treasures of Japan span from the late Kofun to the Muromachi period. During the Yayoi period from about 300 BC to 300 AD, iron tools and weapons such as knives, axes, swords or spears, were introduced to Japan from Korea and China.
The Kabutowari (Japanese: 兜割, lit. "helmet breaker" or "skull breaker" [1]), also known as hachiwari, was a type of knife-shaped weapon, resembling a jitte in many respects. This weapon was carried as a side-arm by the samurai class of feudal Japan. Antique Japanese hachiwari with a nihonto style of handle
[9] [25] [26] Iron knives and axes, followed by bronze swords, spears and mirrors, were brought to Japan from Korea and China. [26] [27] Later all of these were produced locally. [28] The primary artistic artifacts, with the exception of Yayoi pottery, are bronze weapons, such as swords, halberds and dōtaku, ritual bells. [25]
Due to this prohibition, several kinds of non-bladed weapons were carried by palace guards. The jitte proved particularly effective and evolved to become the symbol of a palace guard's exalted position. [1] In Edo-period Japan, the jitte was a substitute for a badge, and it represented someone on official business.
Japanese ashigaru firing hinawajū.Night-shooting practice, using ropes to maintain proper firing elevation. Tanegashima (), most often called in Japanese and sometimes in English hinawajū (火縄銃, "matchlock gun"), was a type of matchlock-configured [1] arquebus [2] firearm introduced to Japan through the Portuguese Empire in 1543. [3]
[1] [2] Naginata were originally used by the samurai class of feudal Japan, as well as by ashigaru (foot soldiers) and sōhei (warrior monks). [3] The naginata is the iconic weapon of the onna-musha, a type of female warrior belonging to the Japanese nobility. A common misconception is that the Naginata is a type of sword, rather than a polearm.