Warabite-to and Jokoto: Ancient Blade Classification from the Yayoi through Nara Periods

Jōkotō (Ancient Japanese Swords)

"Jōkotō" is a general term for swords and blades manufactured before the establishment of Japanese swords (curved single-edged blades)—roughly before the early Heian period (9th century). Morphologically, straight blades and double-edged blade systems derived from China and the Korean Peninsula were the mainstream, and they are systematically distinguished from present-day Japanese swords (tachi and uchidachi).

The chronological division of jōkotō is roughly as follows:

• Yayoi period (approximately 3rd century BCE to 3rd century CE): Iron blades imported from the continent arrived
• Kofun period (3rd-7th centuries): Domestic production of straight blades became full-scale
• Asuka and Nara periods (7th-8th centuries): A formal sword system was established under the ritsuryō code
• Early Heian period (9th century): Curved blades (the prototype of the tachi) began to appear, marking the end of the jōkotō era

Iron Blades of the Yayoi and Kofun Periods

When iron products were brought from the continent during the Yayoi period (approximately 3rd century BCE to 3rd century CE), the production and use of iron blades (tetsutō) began. Early iron blades were primarily imported goods (from China and the Korean Peninsula) because forging techniques were immature, but during the Kofun period (3rd-7th centuries), domestic sword and blade production became full-scale.

The principal forms of swords and blades of the Kofun period:

• Kantōtachi (ring-pommel swords): Straight blades with ring-shaped metal fittings on the hilt (tsukagashira). A form common to China and the Korean Peninsula from the Three Kingdoms period to the Northern and Southern Dynasties period, they were buried with large kofun as symbols of authority.
• Keitōtachi (pointed-pommel swords): Straight blades with a kei-shaped pommel (a square top with a pointed upper part). Like kantōtachi, they have been discovered in large numbers as grave goods in large kofun.
• Sokantōtachi (plain ring-pommel swords): Practical straight blades with simple ring pommels without ornamentation.

A famous excavated artifact showing swords and blades from the Kofun period is the Inariayama Kofun iron blade (Gyōda, Saitama Prefecture, late 5th century). A straight blade 73.5 cm in total length with an inscription of 115 characters in gold inlay (kinzōgan) on the blade. The inscription contains a reference to "Wakatakeru no Ōkimi," corroborating records in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, and was designated as a National Treasure in 1983. It is currently held by the Sakitama Ancient Burial Mounds Museum in Saitama.

Characteristics of Warabiteto

Warabiteto (fern-handle swords) are swords and blades produced during the Nara to early Heian periods (7th-9th centuries), named for the resemblance of the pommel shape to the frond of a bracken fern.

Morphological characteristics:

• Pommel (tsukagashira): A distinctive shape resembling a curved bracken frond on the inside ("kyōtetsu-zukuri"—the hilt and blade are forged as one iron piece)
• Blade: Single-edged with a slight curve—considered a prototype of the curve seen in Japanese swords
• Blade length: Approximately 40 cm (total length around 50 cm)
• Handle length: Approximately 12 cm (designed for single-handed operation)
• Excavation sites: Numerous examples have been excavated from sites in the Tōhoku and Hokkaido regions. Approximately 250 examples have been confirmed nationwide, with the majority from Hokkaido and the Tōhoku regions, followed by sites in the northern Kanto region.

The warabiteto is deeply connected to the culture of the Emishi of the Tōhoku region and is believed to be an equestrian weapon excavated from kofun and ancient tombs of the 7th-8th centuries. It differs significantly from ordinary swords and blades in being "kyōtetsu-zukuri," where the hilt is forged as one piece with the blade, and does not have a structure into which a wooden hilt is fitted.

Evolutionary Lineage of Warabiteto

Some researchers propose the following morphological development of warabiteto:

Warabiteto → Kenuakigata warabiteto → Kenuakigata ōtachi → Kenuakigata tachi → Tachi (Japanese sword)

This "warabiteto origin theory" explains the establishment of Japanese swords through contact with Emishi culture, but alternative theories (such as theories about improvements to continental straight blades) also exist among sword researchers, and debates over the origins continue.

Swords and Blades of the Asuka and Nara Periods and the Shōsōin

Swords and blades of the Asuka to Nara periods (7th-8th centuries) had their forms standardized with the establishment of a weapon system by the ritsuryō state. The swords and blades of this period are collectively called "tachi" (long swords), but they were straight blades with gentle curves, different from the modern tachi (curved blades).

A famous sword from the Nara period is the Shichiseiken (Seven Star Sword), a blade associated with Prince Shōtoku and currently an Important Cultural Property held by Shitennōji Temple (Osaka). A straight blade with the Big Dipper inlaid in gold, known as one of the most decorative artifacts among jōkotō.

Furthermore, the Shōsōin (Nara, Tōdaiji Temple) houses weapons and swords from the Nara period, and along with 8th-century sword fittings (koshirae), it conveys the sword culture of that era to the present day.

Transition from Jōkotō to Japanese Swords

With the 9th century (early Heian period), curved single-edged blades suitable for use in mounted warfare—the prototype of the tachi—began to appear. Whether this transition developed from the curvature of warabiteto or was born from exchange with swords of China and East Asia remains an important theme in sword research.

Principal differences between jōkotō and Japanese swords (tachi):

Appreciation of Jōkotō and Cultural Property Designation

Because many jōkotō are excavated artifacts, they are subject to cultural property designation and are held in large numbers in national and regional museums. For sword enthusiasts, they have high aesthetic value as "the origins of sword culture," a different lineage from Japanese swords. The Tokyo National Museum and the Nara National Museum sometimes display jōkotō designated as National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties.

Although jōkotō are treated separately from the assessment criteria of the NBTHK (Japanese swords), they have been established as an independent field of appreciation and research among collectors and scholars, with systematic studies of excavation regions and form classifications advancing.