Firearms and the Sword—How the Tanegashima Transformed Warfare (1543)

In Tenbun 12 (1543), Portuguese aboard a ship that drifted to Tanegashima (Kagoshima Prefecture) are said to have introduced firearms to Japan—specifically the matchlock gun (火縄銃). This marks the conventional understanding of the "arrival of firearms." Though recent scholarship has questioned both the date and means of transmission, Tanegashima's role as a watershed event remains widely accepted.

Characteristics of the Matchlock Gun as a Weapon

The firearms that arrived were matchlock guns (火縄銃) ignited by a burning match cord applied to priming powder. While they often surpassed the bow in range and penetrating power, loading took considerable time, making rapid successive fire difficult. They were also vulnerable to rain and humidity. Since the match cord's flame could not be extinguished, its glow at night would reveal the gunner's position to the enemy—a significant weakness. Because of these characteristics, the matchlock gun could not decide a battle on its own. Rather, it was a "composite weapon" that achieved its full effect only when combined with the spear (yari / 槍), bow (yumi / 弓), and sword (katana / 刀). When examining the relationship between firearms and bladed weapons in battles after their arrival, this perspective is indispensable.

Domestication and Rapid Spread

The island's ruler, Tanegashima Tokitaka (種子島時尭), purchased two matchlock guns and ordered the domain's smiths to replicate them. The technique of thread-cutting the barrel's breech proved a formidable challenge, but once overcome, domestic production succeeded. Matchlock guns were soon mass-produced in various regions—including Sakai in Izumi and Kunitomo in Ōmi. The sengoku daimyō (戦国大名) eagerly adopted matchlock guns, bringing dramatic changes to battlefield tactics and castle design.

Deployment of Matchlock Guns in the Battle of Nagashino

The Battle of Nagashino in Tenshō 3 (1575) is often cited as a turning point in the large-scale deployment of matchlock guns. The combined forces of Oda Nobunaga (織田信長) and Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川家康) established a fortified position with wooden palisades and deployed matchlock gun units to defeat Takeda Katsuyori's (武田勝頼) forces. However, the famous account of "three thousand guns in three-stage volleys" requires caution—modern scholarship notes that later military chronicles contain significant embellishment and exaggeration. Still, it is widely recognized that the defensive combination of field fortifications and matchlock gun deployment proved extraordinarily effective, profoundly influencing the conduct of subsequent battles and the design of castles.

The Role of Bladed Weapons in the Firearms Era

Even as matchlock guns became the primary weapon, the nihonto (日本刀) did not immediately become obsolete. Battles were not decided by firepower alone; they ultimately involved close-quarters assault into enemy lines, grappling (kumitachi / 組討ち), and head-taking. In such close combat, the katana (刀) and wakizashi (脇差) continued to fulfill essential roles.

Rather, the large-scale battles of the Sengoku period, which mobilized enormous numbers of troops including foot soldiers (ashigaru / 足軽), generated demand for mass-produced practical swords—the kazuuchi (数打ち). A complex weapons system emerged in which the matchlock gun, spear (yari / 槍), and sword (katana / 刀) were each employed according to tactical circumstances.

Kazuuchi and Custom-Made Swords

A crucial distinction in understanding Sengoku-period sword production is that between kazuuchi (数打ち) and chumonuchi (注文打ち—custom-commissioned swords). The kazuuchi were mass-produced pieces made to meet battlefield demand; major production centers like Bizen Osafune (備前長船) and Mino Seki (美濃関) turned out enormous quantities of practical swords. The chumonuchi, by contrast, were carefully forged to individual clients' specifications, and the finest examples remain highly valued today. Though swords of the same era, their character varies greatly depending on the production context. This distinction is fundamental when examining swords from the late Muromachi through Sengoku periods—what are known as suekokuto (末古刀).

The Changing Meaning of Swords with Shifting Weaponry

The arrival of firearms displaced the sword from its position as the primary decisive weapon, yet simultaneously laid the foundation for enhancing its meaning as a symbol of samurai identity and conduct as Japan entered the peaceful Edo period. The introduction of firearms thus indirectly prepared the genesis of a long transformation: from battlefield tool to the samurai's soul.

Checkpoints for Viewing Swords from This Period

Around the time of firearms arrival—particularly in the late Muromachi period—blades display characteristics reflecting changes in fighting methods. First, the tachi (太刀), which was wielded from horseback with its edge facing downward, gave way to the uchigatana (打刀), which is worn edge-up at the waist and drawn for swift cutting. Second, many blades exhibit a compact, nimble sugata (姿) that accommodates one-handed manipulation. Third, blades display sakizori (先反り)—curvature that strengthens toward the point. When examining actual blades, noting the sugata, proportions, and position of curvature provides insight into the fighting techniques of that era.

Misconceptions About the "Replacement" of Swords by Firearms

The notion that "firearms made swords obsolete" misrepresents historical reality. While scholarship documents that bows, matchlock guns, and spears (yari / 槍) were the primary causes of battlefield casualties, the sword remained essential for self-defense, close-quarters combat, and as a status marker. Rather than replacing one another, weapons fulfilled complementary roles. This layered complexity of the weapons system was central to understanding Sengoku martial culture.

Terminology Mini-Glossary

• Matchlock Gun (hinawajū / 火縄銃): Early firearm ignited by a burning match cord. In Japan, also called Tanegashima (種子島) after the island where firearms were first introduced.
• Kazuuchi (数打ち): Mass-produced practical swords created to meet the large-scale demand of the Sengoku period.
• Suekokuto (末古刀): Swords from the late Muromachi through Sengoku periods (roughly before the Keichō era), representing the final phase of the Koto (old sword) classification.
• Uchigatana (打刀): Swords worn edge-up at the waist, capable of swift drawing and cutting. These became the dominant sword type from the Sengoku period onward.

For those with interest in Sengoku martial culture and weapons evolution, we encourage you to view TOUKENZA's articles and sword database, which document the changing roles of swords across different historical periods.