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An is a type of Japanese sword worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan. The ''uchigatana'' was the descendant of the tachi. ==History== The production of swords in Japan is divided into specific time periods: * Jokoto (ancient swords, until around 900 CE) * Koto (old swords from around 900–1596 CE) * Shinto (new swords 1596–1780 CE) * Shinshinto (new new swords 1781–1876 CE) * Gendaito (modern swords 1876–1945 CE) * Shinsakuto (newly made swords 1953–present) From the Heian to the Muromachi Period, the primary battlefield sword was the tachi. Its long blade and sharp edge made it ideal for use on horseback. During the fifteenth century, the ''uchigatana'' came into use, and during the Muromachi Period (1336 to 1573) use of the ''uchigatana'' became widespread.〔(''The connoisseur's book of Japanese swords'' Kōkan Nagayama, Kodansha International, 1998 p.28 )〕 The word ''uchigatana'' can be found in literary works as early as the Kamakura Period, with ''uchi'' meaning "to strike" and gatana (katana) meaning "sword", so that uchigatana means "sword to strike with".〔(''Samurai: The Weapons and Spirit of the Japanese Warrior'', Author Clive Sinclaire, Publisher Globe Pequot, 2004,ISBN 1-59228-720-4, ISBN 978-1-59228-720-8 P.81 )〕 The ''uchigatana'' was originally used only by individuals of low status or rank, such as the ''ashigaru''.〔(''Samurai: The Weapons and Spirit of the Japanese Warrior'', Clive Sinclaire, Globe Pequot, 2004 p.81 )〕〔(''Samurai, warfare and the state in early medieval Japan'', Karl F. Friday, Routledge, 2004 p.79 )〕 Most ''uchigatana'' made during the early Kamakura Period were not of the highest standard, and because they were considered disposable,〔(''Lethal elegance: the art of samurai sword fittings'', Joe Earle, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MFA Publications, 2004 p.15 )〕 virtually no examples from these early times exist today. It was not until the Muromachi Period, when samurai began to use ''uchigatana'' to supplement the longer ''tachi'', that ''uchigatana'' of higher quality were made. During the Momoyama period, the ''tachi'' was almost totally abandoned and the custom of wearing a pair of long and short ''uchigatana'' together (called the ''daisho'') 〔(''The Japanese sword'', Kanzan Satō, Kodansha International, 1983 p.68 )〕 became the dominant symbol of the samurai class. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「uchigatana」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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