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

Classification System of Showa-Era Military Swords

Japanese military swords of the Second World War period were classified into multiple standards according to the rank of those equipped and their intended use. The three main standards are as follows.

Type 94 Military Sword (1934 Standard)

The first formal military sword for officers and warrant officers standardized in 1934 (Showa 9). This standard symbolized a return from Western-style military swords since the Meiji era to a "Japanese sword form," with fittings following traditional Japanese sword style (sharkskin grip, silk wrapping, iron tsuba). It was a tachi-type military sword employing nihaikan-style dual suspension, equipped with newly forged blades commissioned for military swords (Yasukuni swords or army-commissioned sword makers) or heirloom antique or new blades.

Type 98 Military Sword (1938 Standard)

An improved version of the Type 94 standardized in 1938 (Showa 13), aimed at improving portability and unsheathing speed. Changed from dual to single suspension of the Type 94, simplifying fitting specifications and reducing mass production costs. For officers and warrant officers. In the late war period, as antique and heirloom blades decreased, many newly forged swords by army-commissioned sword makers came to be equipped.

Type 95 Military Sword (1935 Standard)

A military sword for non-commissioned officers and enlisted men standardized in 1935 (Showa 10). The blade is steel manufactured by machinery, not following traditional Japanese sword manufacturing methods, and the fittings are also industrial products made entirely of metal. Unlike the Type 94 and Type 98 with wooden grips wrapped in silk or cotton, the grip is metal and fixed with metal screws. Though low in artistic value, it met wartime demand from the standpoint of mass production and cost.

Foundation for Japanese Sword Forging and Yasukuni Swords

The Foundation for Japanese Sword Forging (Yasukuni Sword Forging Site), established at the western edge of the Yasukuni Shrine grounds (site of a former archery range), was a center for manufacturing officers' military swords using traditional manufacturing methods, established and opened in 1933 (Showa 8). The major events of that year are as follows.

• February 25: Groundbreaking ceremony
• June 25: Completion of the forging site
• July 8: Completion ceremony and blacksmith dedication ceremony

Army Minister Araki Sadao served as advisor and Army Vice-Minister Yanagawa Heisuke served as executive director, with the aim of preserving traditional techniques and maintaining officers' military swords. Swords made here were called "Yasukuni swords," and approximately 8,100 were produced over a period of more than 10 years.

Army-commissioned sword makers were private sword makers certified by the Army Ministry who manufactured military sword blades meeting certain standard specifications. The Yasukuni Sword Forging Site and the army-commissioned sword maker system formed the two pillars of the Showa-era military sword system that allowed both full-fledged traditional swords made through traditional tatara iron smelting and folded forging, and machine-manufactured steel swords to coexist.

Distinction Between Traditional Forged Swords and Arsenal Swords and Showa Swords

There are major differences in quality and manufacturing methods among military swords of the Showa period.

Traditional forged swords: Swords made using traditional methods such as folded forging and mud-coated hardening, employing tamahagane steel from tatara iron smelting. Yasukuni swords and those made by army-commissioned sword makers fall into this category, and are currently subjects of sword appraisal and evaluation. They can also undergo NBTHK examination.

Arsenal swords and Showa swords: Metal blades mass-produced mechanically by military arsenals that did not undergo traditional forging and hardening. Type 95 military sword blades are typical examples, treated separately from traditional swords in terms of artistic and technical evaluation. As machine-processed products using military steel (arsenal-standard steel), they lack the traditional appreciation points of swords such as jihada and hamon.

GHQ Confiscation and Extant Showa Military Swords

Following GHQ disarmament after the war's end, many military swords were confiscated and destroyed. Some of the military swords that remained domestically became subjects of the sword registration system and continue to circulate. High-quality military swords with Yasukuni or army-commissioned sword maker blades are being re-evaluated among collectors and are also subjects of NBTHK examination. When viewing or collecting, the distinction in manufacturing method between traditional forged swords and arsenal swords is directly linked to value assessment, making it important to accurately confirm the standard, maker, and characteristics of the blade.

Navy Sword Management

Alongside the Army, the Navy also developed its own sword standards. Navy officers wore "naval short swords" (command sword type) and sometimes wore military swords in forms similar to those of the Army, with differences in fitting details between the Army and Navy. In the Navy, much of sword management was left to individual officers as personal equipment, and it was not uncommon for officers to bring heirloom masterwork swords.

Contemporary Evaluation of Showa Military Swords and Points of Caution in Trading

To accurately evaluate Showa military swords currently in circulation, the following distinctions are essential. First, the presence or absence of registration certificate (sword registration certificate) is a prerequisite, and possession of unregistered swords is illegal. Second, while traditional forged swords such as Yasukuni swords and those made by army-commissioned sword makers are legally treated the same as machine-manufactured products such as Type 95 military swords, their artistic value differs greatly.

Traditional forged Showa military swords may be able to obtain certificates of appraisal rating "Preserved Sword" or higher from NBTHK, with evaluation focused on the condition of the hamon, jihada, signature, and fittings. On the other hand, machine-manufactured Type 95 military swords are often treated as "military equipment (military collection)" by sword dealers and evaluated in a separate category from traditional swords. The world of Showa military swords is a complex field positioned at the intersection of traditional sword history, military history, and modern industrial history, and when buying or selling, it is important to have experts confirm the standard, maker, and provenance of the blade.