naginata
Sign in to saveThe naginata (, , ) is a polearm and one of several varieties of traditionally made Japanese blades (nihontō). Naginata were originally used by the samurai class of feudal Japan, as well as by ashigaru (foot soldiers) and sōhei (warrior monks). The naginata is the iconic weapon of the onna-musha, a type of female warrior belonging to the Japanese nobility.
Key facts
- Weapon.image
- File:薙刀, Naginata.jpg
- Weapon.caption
- A naginata blade forged by Osafune Katsumitsu. Muromachi period, 1503, Tokyo National Museum
- Weapon.type
- Polearm
- Weapon.used_by
- Samurai, Onna-musha, Naginatajutsu practitioners
- Weapon.sheath_type
- Lacquered wood
- Weapon.image_size
- 350
- Weapon.origin
- Japan
- Weapon.is_bladed
- yes
- Weapon.production_date
- Heian period or Kamakura period until present.
- Weapon.weight
- and more
- Weapon.blade_type
- Curved, single-edged
- Weapon.hilt_type
- wood, horn, lacquer
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
9 sectionsContents
- Description
- History
- Contemporary construction
- Contemporary usage
- Gallery
- See also
- References
- Sources
- External links
The naginata (, , ) is a polearm and one of several varieties of traditionally made Japanese blades (nihontō). Naginata were originally used by the samurai class of feudal Japan, as well as by ashigaru (foot soldiers) and sōhei (warrior monks). The naginata is the iconic weapon of the onna-musha, a type of female warrior belonging to the Japanese nobility.
==Description== A naginata consists of a wooden or metal pole with a curved single-edged blade on the end; it is similar to the Chinese guan dao or the European glaive. Similar to the katana, naginata often have a round handguard (tsuba) between the blade and shaft, when mounted in a koshirae (furniture). The naginata blade is forged in the same manner as traditional Japanese swords. The blade has a long tang (nakago) which is inserted in the shaft.