Japanese Symbol for
刀katana
sword · blade · katana
Readings
Meaning
Sword, blade, katana. 刀 (katana) is a single-edged curved sword — the samurai's primary weapon. 剣 (ken/tsurugi) refers to a straight double-edged sword, older and more ceremonial. Both are sacred objects in Japanese culture.
Example words
日本刀
nihontō
Japanese sword
剣道
kendō
the way of the sword (martial art)
刀匠
tōshō
swordsmith
太刀
tachi
long curved sword (worn edge-down)
小刀
kodachi / kogatana
short sword, small blade
真剣
shinken
real sword / serious (true-blade)
真剣 (shinken) means both "real sword" and "serious/earnest" — practicing with a real blade (as opposed to wooden bokken) meant life or death, making the word a metaphor for deadly seriousness. Japanese swords are considered sacred and are among the world's finest bladed weapons — forged through a process of folding steel thousands of times, a single katana can take months to make.
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