Chokutō
直刀 · chokutō
A straight, single-edged Japanese sword from before the 9th century, worn hanging at the waist, which in the Heian period was displaced by curved tachi swords.
Quick Facts
JapanAbout the weapon
The chokutō (直刀) is a straight, single-edged Japanese sword, made mainly before the 9th century. This blade type comes from ancient China and Korea and reached Japan under the Han dynasty via the Korean Peninsula. Per Japanese sources, finds appear from the late Yayoi period, mainly in western Japan, and most are imports. The blades typically had a hira-zukuri or kiriha-zukuri grind, which distinguishes them from later curved swords. In the early Kofun period, double-edged straight swords predominated, which disappeared by the end of the 5th century; from the late Kofun period, single-edged straight swords were used. In the second half of the 6th century, hilts shortened and a one-handed grip became dominant. The chokutō was worn hanging at the waist and used in combat on foot, both for thrusting and cutting. By the middle of the Heian period (10th century), it was displaced by curved blades: the transition was begun by the kenukigata-tachi type, derived from the warabitetō weapons of the Emishi people, from which the tachi evolved. On Hokkaidō, swords with a wooden hilt and straight blade persisted until the 13th–14th century and led to the Ezo swords. Straight swords made using traditional methods still appear in ceremonies today. The sword Sugari no Ontachi, a votive offering to the Ise Grand Shrine, was remade in 2013 with mounting in the Heian-period style.