The Tessen (Iron Fan) and Jitte — Edo-Period Self-Defense Weapons and Policing Tools

"Bladed Weapons Beyond the Sword" — The Periphery of Japanese Sword Culture

The world of the Japanese sword extends beyond tachi, uchigatana, wakizashi, and tanto. Japan developed diverse metal weapons and restraint tools that complemented the sword, each evolving their own distinct techniques and culture.

This article addresses "iron fans (tessen)," "jitte (十手)," and other restraint tools particularly bound to samurai and law enforcement culture in the Edo period, explained from the perspective of sword history.

Tessen (鉄扇) — The Folding Battle Weapon

What is Tessen?

Tessen is a metal or metal-reinforced weapon whose external form resembles a fan (ougi). While ordinary fans are made of washi paper and bamboo frames, tessen is constructed from "iron or metal fan bones (senbones)."

Folding type: Like ordinary fans, it can be folded for transport appearing as a normal fan, but when opened becomes a sturdy striking weapon.

Non-folding type (gunbai fan): Fixed, permanently open versions also existed. These primarily served as gunbai (軍配), used by warlords for command and signaling.

Use of Tessen — Self-defense, Propriety, Command

Self-defense weapon: In samurai society, fans could be carried in places where sword-bearing was prohibited (certain areas within castles, specific locations during sankin-kotai processions, etc.). Tessen functioned as a self-defense tool in such situations.

Striking weapon: Used to deflect enemy attacks or strike opponents—functioning as a "non-lethal weapon" for subduing without drawing a sword.

Ceremonial object: Carrying a fan was part of samurai and daimyo propriety. Elaborately decorated tessen also served as "symbols of authority."

Notable Users of Tessen

Kusunoki Masashige (楠木正成): Legends tell of the Nanboku-cho period warlord Kusunoki Masashige wielding tessen.

Uesugi Kenshin (上杉謙信): Accounts survive of Kenshin wielding tessen on the battlefield.

Tokugawa Iemitsu (徳川家光): The third shogun Iemitsu is said to have favored tessen.

Tessen in Modern Times

In contemporary Japan, tessen is sometimes used as a training tool in iaido and martial arts practice. Many tessen are preserved and collected as antiques. Regarding portable possession, note that legal status under the Swords and Firearms Possession Control Law varies depending on the tessen's form and intended use.

Jitte (十手) — Edo's "Police Weapon"

What is Jitte?

Jitte (十手, also read as jutto) was a restraint weapon carried by okappiki (岡っ引き: unofficial constables of the shogunate or domains), yoriki (与力), and doshin (同心) during the Edo period.

Basic structure: A rod-shaped iron or brass weapon roughly 30-60cm long. A "hook (kagi)" protrudes from the handle section—typically a single hook on the opposite side of the blade.

Hook function: This hook was jitte's defining characteristic. It caught and entangled sword blades through the "sword trap (katana-dome)" technique, allowing restraint without drawing one's own sword.

History of Jitte

Heian-Kamakura prototypes: Weapons that were jitte's predecessors existed in the Heian and Kamakura periods, but the "okappiki jitte" form as currently known was established in the Edo period.

Edo period standardization: As the shogunate's law enforcement structure developed in the 17th-18th centuries, jitte was standardized as an official restraint tool.

Officially sanctioned weapon: Formal yoriki and doshin were permitted to bear swords, but okappiki (unofficial cooperators) were principally forbidden to carry swords. Jitte functioned as a legally-portable weapon for such "semi-official" law enforcement.

Types of Jitte

Hon-jitte (本十手): The basic form with a single hook—the standard type.

Kagi-jitte (鉤十手): Multiple hooks (double hooks, etc.), accommodating more sword-trap scenarios.

Hoso-jitte (細十手): Slender and lightweight versions used by female officers or in covert operations.

Soshoku-jitte (装飾十手): Versions with tassels (fusa: silk cord ornaments). The color and form of jitte tassels indicated the bearer's rank and position (e.g., yoriki wore crimson tassels, doshin wore white).

Jitte-jutsu (十手術)

Jitte technique was systematized as "jitte-jutsu" (also called torite-jutsu). Primary techniques follow:

Katana-dome (刀留め): When an opponent swings a sword downward, hook the blade or tsuba (crossguard) to halt its motion.

Striking techniques: Direct striking as a staff, including strikes to vital points (wrists, elbows, knees, etc.).

Entanglement: Hook the opponent's arm or sword, disrupting their stance.

Today, "jitte-jutsu" and "jitte-do" continue to be transmitted as traditional martial art forms in various schools.

Other Restraint Tools

Manriki-gusari (万力鎖)

A weapon with weights at both chain ends, swung to entangle an opponent's weapon or body—operating on the same principle as kusarigama (鎖鎌), which binds and subdues a sword blade with chain.

Tekko-kagi (手甲鉤)

Claw-like iron weapons worn between the fingers, used for grasping opponents' swords or enhancing unarmed combat striking power.

Sasumata (刺股)

A long-shafted restraint tool with Y-shaped prongs. The shafts hook fleeing criminals' waists and shoulders to restrict movement. It remains in use today as a security tool in Japanese police and schools.

Tsukubou (突棒)

A staff with iron hooks or barbs at the tip, hooked into opponents' clothing or bodies to restrain movement.

Modern Appraisal and Collecting of Jitte and Tessen

Value as Antiques

Tessen and jitte hold distinct value in the antique market.

Tessen value factors: Bone materials (iron, silver, etc.), refinement of decoration, period (early or late Edo), presence or absence of maker's signatures.

Jitte value factors: Material (iron, brass, silver, etc.), hook shape, tassel condition, presence of signatures, historical context (whether an official authorized tool of a famous magistrate's office).

Legal Considerations

In contemporary Japan, possession of tessen and jitte rarely qualifies as "swords and blades" under the Swords and Firearms Possession Control Law, though carrying them in specific locations may violate the Petty Offense Law. Proper management as antiques or martial training equipment is essential.

Conclusion — "The Periphery of the Sword" Speaks of Japanese Weapons Culture

Japanese metal weapon culture developed around swords—tessen, jitte, sasumata—emerged from the social imperative: "how to fight and subdue without carrying or being able to carry a sword."

The jitte born from the Edo period law enforcement system as a "weapon for constables without swords," the tessen that balanced samurai propriety with self-defense—while existing at the margins of a sword-centered weapons culture, these developed distinct techniques, traditions, and aesthetics. To deeply understand the world of the sword requires also turning one's gaze to these non-sword weapons.