Ninjatō

Ninjatō
A straight-blade ninjatō
Type	Sword
Place of origin	Japan
Specifications
Weight	0.42 kilograms (0.93 lb)
Length	48 centimetres (19 in)

The Ninjato (忍者刀, ninjatō), also known as ninjaken (忍者剣) or shinobigatana (忍刀), is the most common name for the sword that the ninja of feudal Japan are portrayed to have carried in movies, on television, and in numerous books written by modern ninjutsu practitioners including Masaaki Hatsumi, Stephen K. Hayes, and Ashida Kim. Replicas of this weapon are also prominently on display in both the Koka Ninja Village Museum in Koka city, Shiga prefecture, Japan and the Iga-ryū Ninja Museum in Iga city, Mie prefecture, Japan.^{[citation needed]} Historically, there is no physical evidence for the existence of this "katana like sword legendarily used by ninjas", though it is believed that they are based on the design of the Wakizashi or Chokutō type swords. Dr. Stephen Turnbull, an historian specializing in the military history of Japan indicates of historical ninja: "The most important ninja weapon was his sword. This was the standard Japanese fighting sword or katana...for convenience the ninja would choose a blade that was shorter and straighter than usual".

History

Because of the lack of any physical evidence or antique swords from the Sengoku period to the Edo period (16th to 19th century) matching the description of the ninjato, the history of the weapon can only be reliably chronicled from the 20th century onwards.

• 1964 - The Iga-ryū Ninja Museum in Japan, which houses replicas of the sword, is established. Also that year, the swords appeared in Shinobi no Mono Kirigakure Saizō (忍びの者 霧隠才蔵) and Shinobi no Mono Zoku Kirigakure Saizō (忍びの者 続・霧隠才蔵), the 4th and 5th entries in the Japanese jidaigeki movie series Shinobi no Mono, released in theaters in Japan.^{[citation needed]}
• 1973 - Ads selling newly manufactured and imported ninja swords appear in Black Belt Magazine.
• 1981 - Books containing references to the sword written by Masaaki Hatsumi, the 34th Grandmaster of the Togakure Ryu, and Stephen K. Hayes, an American who began his ninjutsu studies in July 1975, are published.
• 1983 - The first Hollywood movie to feature the ninjato, Revenge of the Ninja, is released in theaters.^{[citation needed]}
• 1984 - The first American television production to feature these swords, The Master, is broadcast on NBC.^{[citation needed]}

Appearance

Modern depiction of ninja with ninjato, Edo wonderland, Nikko Japan.

The ninjato is typically depicted as being a short sword, often portrayed as having a straight blade (similar to that of a Shikomizue or Joto) with a square guard. Usually of a length "less than 60 cm", the rest of the sword is comparatively "thick, heavy and straight". Stephen Hayes suggests that the typical description of the ninjato could be due to ninja having to forge their own blades from slabs of steel or iron with the cutting edge being ground on a stone, with straight blades being easier to form than the much more refined curved traditional Japanese sword. His second possible reason for ninjato being described as a staight bladed, rather short sword could be that the ninja were emulating one of the patron Buddhist deities of ninja families, Fudo Myo-oh who is depicted brandishing a straight bladed short sword similar to a chokutō.

The scabbard (saya) of the ninjato were often said to have been used for various purposes such as a respiration pipe (snorkel) in underwater activities or for secretly overhearing conversations and as a club The scabbard is also said to have been longer than the blade of the ninjato in order to hide various objects such as chemicals used to blind pursuers.

The tsuba (hand guard) of the ninjato is often described as being larger than average and square instead of the much more common round tsuba. One theory on the ninjato tsuba size and shape is that it was used as a tool, the sword would be leaned against a wall and ninja would use the tsuba as a step to extend his normal reach, the sword would then be retrieved by pulling it up by the sageo (saya cord).

Usage

Due to the lack of historical evidence regarding the ninjato, techniques for usage in a martial context are largely speculative.

When used in film and stage, ninjato are depicted as being shorter than a katana with a straight blade but they are utilized in a "nearly identical" combat style as the katana.

Books and other written materials have described a number of possible ways to use the sword including "fast draw techniques centered around drawing the sword and cutting as a simultaneous defensive or attacking action", with "a thrust fencing technique", and with a "reverse grip".

See also

• Ninja
• Ninjutsu
• Japanese sword

External links

• Nihonto message board forum
• Ninjatō at the Koka Ninja Village Museum
• Shinobigatana at the Iga-ryū Ninja Museum