Showa Military Sword History and Production: Type 94, 95, 98 Differences and Military Sword Administration

Classification of Showa Military Swords

Imperial Japanese military swords of the Second World War era are classified by the rank of the bearer and intended use. The three primary specifications are:

Type 94 (1934)

The first standardized military sword for officers and warrant officers. It symbolized a return from Western-style swords to traditional Japanese sword form: rayskin-wrapped hilt, braided handle wrap, iron tsuba. Blades were either newly commissioned from Yasukuni or army-designated smiths, or ancestral antique swords.

Type 98 (1938)

An improved version of Type 94, designed for improved portability and faster draw. Simplified mountings reduced production costs. For officers and warrant officers.

Type 95 (1935)

A machine-manufactured sword for non-commissioned officers. The blade was industrially produced steel (not made by traditional nihonto methods), with all-metal industrial mountings. Limited artistic value but designed for mass production to meet wartime demand.

Yasukuni Smiths and Army-Designated Smiths

The Yasukuni Forge (Yasukuni Kaikoh Bunko Tosho-sho), established within the Yasukuni Shrine grounds, produced traditional-method officer swords; notable participants included Miyamoto Kanenori and Gassan Sadaichi (first generation). Army-certified civilian smiths (rikugun jyumei tosho) produced blade bodies meeting military specifications.

GHQ Confiscation and Surviving Showa Military Swords

The postwar GHQ disarmament resulted in the confiscation and destruction of large numbers of military swords. Those that remained in Japan were incorporated into the sword registration system and continue to circulate today. Military swords with quality blades by Yasukuni or army-designated smiths are now reappraised by collectors and can be submitted to NBTHK shinsa.