Glossary of Japanese Sword Terminology
Historical Phases:
Kotō - ‘Old Swords’, typically long, relatively narrow, and elegant.
Shintō - ‘New Swords’, typically broader, shorter, and straighter. In Naruto this period also includes many 'experimental' types of sword like the Seven Swords of the Mist.
Guntōken - ‘Army Swords’, typically mass-produced to a single specification.
Shinshintō ‘ ‘New-New Swords’, modern manufactured with traditional craftsmanship.

Types and Shapes (Jp. ‘Sugata’):
Daishō: Any matched pair of a long ‘daitō’ and a short ‘shotō’.
Tantō: A (typically) single-edged dagger. Lost favor during the shintō period, has seen a resurgence among ANBU units.
Tachi: A long (~80cm+), curved sword with a prominent curve towards the hilt. Typically a form associated with the kotō period, worn edge-down from hanging mountings.
Kodachi: A small (~60cm) blade shaped like a tachi but often thrust through the sash/belt edge-up, sometimes viewed as a companion blade or a weapon designed for a female warrior (Jp. ‘Onna-Bugeisha’)
Wakizashi: A short sword, typically the companion to a Katana. Often served as a backup when indoors or disarmed, or in ritual suicide (hara-kiri or seppuku). Worn edge-up.
Katana: Also historically referred to as an ‘Uchigatana’, this blade is slightly shorter and straighter than a typical tachi with a curve centered more near to the center of the blade. Worn edge-up.

Technical Terms:
Hamon: The line formed by differential tempering, where hard edge-steel and milder, lower-carbon steel meet. This technique makes blades less susceptible to snapping, and comes in many typical patterns.
Suguha: A straight temper line roughly parallel to the edge. This may be either wide or narrow.
Notare: Wide, subtle irregularities in the temper line.
Gunome: More obvious undulations in the temper line.
Midare: More dramatic rising and falling temper line.
Ashi: An element of the hamon that drops sharply towards the edge like a line, limits the spread of cracks.
Choji: A style of hamon where the temper line follows the Ashi, forming pale, often flame-like patterns which are visible after polishing.
Choji-Midare/Choji-Gunome: A choji patterned hamon where the temper line itself rises and falls, one of the most active and dramatic styles.
Tobiyaki: Areas of hardened steel on the side of the blade, above the hamon.
Hada: The ‘grain’ of the steel, formed as the result of multiple rounds of folding and hammering the hot billet.

Fittings (Jp. ‘Koshirae’)
Tsuka: Handle
Tsuka-Ito: The silk handle-wrapping
Samegawa: The shark or rayskin inserted between the wooden handle and the tsuka-ito
Tsuba: The hand guard, which may have certain artistic characteristics itself
Mekugi: The wooden stay pin
Mekugi-ana: The hole in the tang through which the stay pin is inserted
Habaki: the ‘collar’, a soft metal fitting around the base of the blade’s edge that presses against the inside of the sheath, effectively allowing the blade to ‘float’ in place without touching the inside of the scabbard.
Koiguchi: The ‘mouth’ of the scabbard where the habaki engages.
Fuchi and Kashira: the cap at the top of the tsuka, which fits snugly against the tsuba, and the end cap which holds the tsuka-ito in place. Typically come as a matched set.
Saya: the scabbard
Kogai: An accessory commonly inserted into the saya, used for arranging hair.
Kogatana: A small utility blade often stored in the scabbard on the side opposite the kogai.

Martial Arts (Budo/Bujutsu)
Seiza: Formal seating posture, knees down seated on the heels of hte feet.
Kihon: Fundamental techniques.
Iai: Drawing the sword.
Te no Uchi: Proper cutting technique.
'Opening the Koiguchi': The various techniques for releasing the habaki from the mouth of the saya.
Iaijutsu: The technique for drawing and cutting in a single movement.
Furikaburi-Kirioroshi: The setup and the follow-up cut, exploiting an opening created by an initial cut that does not kill the target.
Chiburi: One of several techniques for cleaning blood from the sword.
Noto: Sheathing the sword.