Naginata
薙刀 · naginata
A Japanese pole weapon with a curved, single-edged blade on a long shaft, prized in the Genpei War and, in the Edo period, a status symbol for noblewomen.
Quick Facts
JapanAbout the weapon
The naginata is a Japanese pole weapon with a curved, single-edged blade fixed to a long shaft. The earliest clear mentions date from 1146, in the Heian period; the earliest physical evidence, however, only from the mid-Kamakura period. It was first written with the characters 長刀; to avoid confusion with the term for swords, the spelling 薙刀 became standard. The blade is attached to the shaft detachably, by a wooden peg called mekugi. The end of the shaft is protected by a heavy metal butt cap ishizuki, and in ceremonial mounting a round guard tsuba is usually placed between blade and shaft. The blade usually measures one to two shaku (about 30–60 cm), the shaft three to six shaku (about 90–180 cm). In the Genpei War (1180–1185) the naginata enjoyed especially high esteem among warriors. Traditionally it is practiced by the schools Suiō-ryū, Araki-ryū, Tendō-ryū, Jikishinkage-ryū, Higo Koryū, Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū, Toda-ha Bukō-ryū and Yōshin-ryū. Modern competitive atarashii naginata uses a training weapon with an oak shaft and a bamboo "blade" (habu), 210–225 cm long and weighing more than 650 g. In the peaceful Edo period the naginata became a status symbol and a self-defense weapon for women of noble families. At Ōyamazumi Shrine there are two naginata traditionally said to have been dedicated by the woman warrior Tomoe Gozen and the monk Benkei; both are designated an Important Cultural Property.
Parts of the weapon
- Guard — tsuba
- Butt — ishizuki