by Mary Stephens

Created on: August 01, 2009

The wakizashi is a Japanese sword often worn by samurai during feudal times. It is about 20 inches long. It was usually paired with another, bigger sword called katana and worn as a back up weapon. The two swords were referred to as daisho - large and small. That's why the wakizashi was sometimes called the companion sword.

The first records of using a wakizashi date back to the 14th century. The samurai wore more than one sword. However, many of them were classified depending on their length. The term wakizashi did not apply to any specific blade length, but rather to a group of swords worn as side swords. Eventually, samurai called wakizashi any side sword that was between 12 and 24 inches long.

In the late 16th century, after the Muromachi era Japanese rulers issued some regulations about who was permitted to carry a sword and the different types of swords that were allowed. The goal was to restrict weapons among commoners and increase the status and power of the samurai class. This was the only social class that was permitted to carry the daisho (katana and wakizashi swords). In the late 17th century, during the Momoyama period the swords became categorized based on their length. By the law, the wakizashi sword was supposed to be shorter than the katana sword, but the laws were not always obeyed. Many townsmen carried longer wakizashi swords, mainly for protection of the town. Also criminals and yakuza gang members did not obey the law.

The wakizashi sword was a secondary weapon to the main sword. It was mainly used for fighting inside buildings, where their low ceilings made the use of the katana very difficult. It came in handy when the katana was lost or damaged. The samurai would never leave their wakizashi behind. Oftentimes upon entering a building, leaving the katana with a servant was a customary gesture of respect and sometimes it was required for security. The wakizashi, on the other hand, was worn at all times.

The samurai also used the wakizashi to execute their enemies by cutting their heads off.

It was sometimes called the "honor blade," as it was also used to commit seppuku, which was a ritual suicide in Japan. However, there was another blade, called tanto (carried by virtually everyone during the civil war in Japan), used for that purpose as well.

Today, the wakizashi is used in martial arts and many different kinds of the sword are available on the market. It is a popular item among Japanese weapon collectors. A high quality wakizashi sword can exceed $1000.

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