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

Ancient Swords (jōkotō): What They Are

"Jōkotō" is the collective term for swords and blades made before the establishment of the curved single-edged Japanese sword — roughly before the early Heian period (9th century). In terms of form, straight swords and double-edged swords derived from China and the Korean peninsula were the mainstream, and are systematically distinguished from modern Japanese swords (tachi and uchigatana).

Iron Swords of the Yayoi and Kofun Periods

When iron products were brought from the continent during the Yayoi period (3rd century BC–3rd century AD), the manufacture and use of iron swords (tetsutō) began. Because early iron swords lacked mature forging techniques, imported items (from China and the Korean peninsula) dominated, but during the Kofun period (3rd–7th centuries), domestic sword production became full-fledged.

Main sword types of the Kofun period:

• Kantō tachi (ring-pommel swords): Straight swords with a ring-shaped metal fitting at the pommel, using forms common to the Three Kingdoms through the Northern and Southern Dynasties in China and the Korean peninsula. They were placed as grave goods in large tumuli as symbols of authority.
• Keitō tachi (quilleted-pommel swords): Straight swords with a quilleted (kei-shaped) pommel. Like ring-pommel swords, many have been discovered as grave goods in large burial mounds.
• Sokantō tachi (plain ring-pommel swords): Practical straight swords with simple, undecorated ring pommels.

Characteristics of the Warabite Sword (warabite)

The warabite sword is a blade made from the Nara through early Heian periods (8th–9th centuries), with its name derived from the pommel shape resembling a "fern frond."

Morphological characteristics:

• Pommel: An unusual inward-curving fern-frond shape
• Blade: Single-edged and gently curved — possibly the prototype of Japanese sword curvature
• Blade length: Approximately 50–70 cm
• Excavation sites: Numerous artifacts discovered at sites in the Tohoku region (Emishi lands)

Warabite swords are deeply connected to the culture of the Tohoku Emishi (蝦夷), and are believed to have been used in the north as Yamato court authority expanded. Some scholars suggest that warabite swords may have influenced the curved form of later tachi and katana, but scholarly discussion continues regarding morphological continuity.

The Transition from Ancient Swords to Katana

Beginning in the 9th century (early Heian period), "curved single-edged swords" suited for mounted combat — the prototype of the tachi — began to appear. Whether this transition developed from the curvature of warabite swords or emerged from exchange with Chinese and East Asian blade traditions remains an important theme in sword research.

Appreciation and Cultural Property Designation of Ancient Swords

Because many ancient swords are excavated artifacts, they are designated as cultural properties and housed in national and regional museums. For sword enthusiasts, they hold high appreciation value as the "origins of sword culture," distinct from modern Japanese swords. The Tokyo National Museum and Nara National Museum occasionally display ancient swords designated as National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties.