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{{Short description|Type of Japanese polearm}}
{{Italic title|reason=[[:Category:Japanese words and phrases]]}}
{{Infobox weapon
| name               = {{Nihongo|Naginata|なぎなた, 薙刀}}
| image              = File:薙刀, Naginata.jpg
| caption            = A ''naginata'' blade forged by Osafune Katsumitsu. [[Muromachi period]], 1503, [[Tokyo National Museum]]
| type               = [[Polearm]]
| used_by            = [[Samurai]], [[Onna-musha]], [[Naginatajutsu]] practitioners
<!-- Type selection -->
| sheath_type        = [[Japanese lacquerware|Lacquered wood]]
| head_type          = 
| haft_type          = 
| image_size         = 350
| origin             = Japan
| is_bladed          = yes
<!-- Production history -->
| production_date    = [[Heian period]] or [[Kamakura period]] until present.
<!-- General specifications -->
| weight             = {{convert|650|g|oz}} and more
| length             = {{convert|205|-|260|cm|in}}
| part_length        = {{convert|85|-|100|cm|in}}
<!-- Bladed weapon specifications -->
| blade_type         = Curved, single-edged
| hilt_type          = wood, horn, lacquer
}}

The '''''naginata''''' ({{linktext|なぎなた}}, {{linktext|薙刀}}, {{lit|mowing sword}}) is a [[polearm]] and one of several varieties of traditionally made Japanese blades (''[[Japanese sword|nihontō]]'').<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PtBci2GslUkC&q=nihonto+refers+to&pg=PA150 |title=The Development of Controversies: From the Early Modern Period to Online Discussion Forums, Volume 91 of Linguistic Insights. Studies in Language and Communication|author=Manouchehr Moshtagh Khorasani|publisher=Peter Lang|year=2008|isbn=978-3-03911-711-6|page=150}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f-RsCs5dJRwC&q=traditionally+made+a+Japanese+sword+nihonto&pg=PA144|title=The Complete Idiot's Guide to World Mythology, Complete Idiot's Guides|author=Evans Lansing Smith, Nathan Robert Brown|publisher=Penguin|year=2008|isbn=978-1-59257-764-4|page=144}}</ref> ''Naginata'' were originally used by the [[samurai]] class of feudal Japan, as well as by [[ashigaru]] (foot soldiers) and [[sōhei]] (warrior monks).<ref name="books.google.com">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P-Nv_LUi6KgC&q=naginata&pg=PA158|title=Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia of History and Innovation|author=Thomas A. Green, Joseph R. Svinth|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2010|page=158|isbn=9781598842449}}</ref> The naginata is the iconic weapon of the [[onna-musha]], a type of female warrior belonging to the Japanese nobility. A common misconception is that the Naginata is a type of sword, rather than a polearm.

==Description==
A ''naginata'' consists of a wooden or metal pole with a curved single-edged blade on the end; it is similar to the Chinese [[guan dao]]<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=mqTP18US1asC&dq=naginata+guan+dao&pg=PA494 ''Encyclopedia technical, historical, biographical and cultural martial arts of the Far East'', Authors	Gabrielle Habersetzer, Roland Habersetzer, Publisher Amphora Publishing, 2004], {{ISBN|2-85180-660-2}}, {{ISBN|978-2-85180-660-4}} P.494</ref> or the European [[glaive]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=IQ3FAZG94ZsC&dq=naginata+glaive&pg=PA139 ''Samurai: The Weapons and Spirit of the Japanese Warrior'', Author Clive Sinclaire, Publisher Globe Pequot, 2004], {{ISBN|1-59228-720-4}}, {{ISBN|978-1-59228-720-8}} P.139</ref> Similar to the katana, naginata often have a round handguard (''[[tsuba]]'') between the blade and shaft, when mounted in a [[koshirae]] (furniture). The {{convert|30|to|60|cm|in|round=0.5|abbr=on}} ''naginata'' blade is forged in the same manner as traditional [[Japanese sword]]s. The blade has a long tang [[Commons:Category:Nakago (naginata)|(''nakago'')]] which is inserted in the [[Commons:Category:Naginata nagaye (ebu)|shaft]].

The blade is removable and is secured by means of a wooden peg called [[Commons:Category:Mekugi|''mekugi'']] (目釘) that passes through a hole ([[Commons:Category:Mekugi-ana|''mekugi-ana'']]) in both the tang and the shaft.
The shaft ranges from {{convert|120|to|240|cm|in|round=0.5|abbr=on}} in length and is oval shaped. The area of the shaft where the tang sits is the [[Commons:Category:tachiuchi (tachiuke)|''tachiuchi'' or ''tachiuke'']]. The tachiuchi/tachiuke would be reinforced with metal rings ([[Commons:Category:Naginata dogane (semegane)|''naginata dogane'' or ''semegane'']]), and/or metal sleeves [[Commons:Category:Naginata (sakawa)|(''sakawa'')]] and wrapped with cord ([[Commons:Category:Naginata (san-dan maki)|''san-dan maki'']]). The end of the shaft has a heavy metal end cap ([[Commons:Category:Naginata ishizuki (hirumaki)|''ishizuki'' or ''hirumaki'']]). When not in use the blade would be covered with a [[Commons:Category:Saya (naginata)|wooden sheath]].<ref name="books.google.com"/>

==History==
[[File:Naginata2.JPG|thumb|upright=0.5|Mounting for ''naginata'', [[Edo period]]]]
[[File:Yōshū_Chikanobu_Tomoe_Gozen.jpg|thumb|[[Tomoe Gozen]], an "[[onna-musha]]", wields a naginata on horseback.]]
[[File:A Fighting Monk, Military Costumes in Old Japan..jpg|thumb|A Meiji-era depiction of a sōhei (warrior monk) with a naginata]]

It is assumed that the ''naginata'' was developed from an earlier weapon type of the later 1st millennium AD, the ''[[hoko yari]]''.<ref name="Draeger">{{cite book|last=Draeger|first=David E.|title=Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts|publisher= Kodansha International|year=1981|page=208|isbn=978-0-87011-436-6}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Ratti|first=Oscar|author2=Adele Westbrook|title=Secrets of the Samurai: The Martial Arts of Feudal Japan|publisher=Castle Books|year=1999|isbn=978-0-7858-1073-5|page=[https://archive.org/details/secretsofsamurai00osca_0/page/241 241]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/secretsofsamurai00osca_0/page/241}}</ref> Another assumption is that the ''naginata'' was developed by lengthening the hilt of the ''[[tachi]]'' at the end of the Heian period, and it is not certain which theory is correct.<ref name = "toukennagi">[https://web.archive.org/web/20201124014052/https://www.touken-world.jp/tips/25694/ Basic knowledge of naginata and nagamaki.] Nagoya Japanese Sword Museum, Touken World</ref>

It is generally believed that ''naginata'' first appeared in the [[Heian period]] (794–1185).<ref name ="en20p35"/> The term ''naginata'' first appeared in historical documents in the Heian period. The earliest clear references to ''naginata'' date from 1146.<ref name = "karl F">{{cite book|author1-link=Karl Friday|last=Friday|first=Karl F.|title= Samurai, Warfare and the State in Early Medieval Japan|url=https://archive.org/details/samuraiwarfarest00frid_779|url-access=limited|year=2004|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-203-39216-4|page=[https://archive.org/details/samuraiwarfarest00frid_779/page/n100 86]}}</ref> In ''[[Honchō Seiki]]'' compiled from 1150 to 1159 in the late Heian period, it is recorded that Minamoto no Tsunemitsu mentioned that his weapon was a ''naginata''.<ref name ="en20p35">Kazuhiko Inada (2020), ''Encyclopedia of the Japanese Swords''. p.35. {{ISBN|978-4651200408}}</ref>

In the early Heian period, battles were mainly fought using ''[[yumi]]'' (longbow) on horseback, but in the late Heian period, battles on foot began to increase and ''naginata'' also came to be used on the battlefield. The ''naginata'' was appreciated because it was a weapon that could maintain an optimum distance from the enemy in close combat.<ref name = "toukennagi"/> During the [[Genpei War]] (1180–1185), in which the [[Taira clan]] was pitted against the [[Minamoto clan]], the ''naginata'' rose to a position of particularly high esteem, being regarded as an extremely effective weapon by warriors.<ref name="WBAR">{{cite book|last=Ratti|first=Oscar|author2=Adele Westbrook|title=Secrets of the Samurai: The Martial Arts of Feudal Japan|publisher=[[Tuttle Publishing]]|year=1991|page=484|isbn=978-0-8048-1684-7}}</ref> ''[[The Tale of the Heike]]'', which records the Genpei War, there are descriptions such as ''ō naginata'' (lit. big ''naginata'') and ''ko naginata'' (lit. little ''naginata''), which show that ''naginata'' of various lengths were used.<ref name ="en20p35"/> The ''naginata'' proved excellent at dismounting cavalry and disabling riders. The widespread adoption of the ''naginata'' as a battlefield weapon forced the introduction of [[greave]]s as a part of [[Japanese armor]].  [[Ōyamazumi Shrine]] houses two ''naginata'' that are said to have been dedicated by [[Tomoe Gozen]] and [[Benkei]] at the end of the Heian period and they are designated as [[Important Cultural Property (Japan)|Important Cultural Property]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20210724065108/https://www.touken-world.jp/religious-building/6526/ "Ōyamazumi Shrine"]. Nagoya Token Museum Nagoya Token World.</ref>

However, according to [[Karl Friday]], there were various notations for ''naginata'' in the Heian period and the earliest physical evidence for ''naginata'' was in the middle of the Kamakura period, so there is a theory that says when they first appeared is unclear.<ref name = "karl F"/> Earlier 10th through 12th century sources refer to "long swords" that while a common medieval term or orthography for ''naginata'', could also simply be referring to conventional swords; one source describes a ''naginata'' being drawn with the verb {{Nihongo|2=抜く|3=nuku}}, commonly associated with swords, rather than {{Nihongo|2=外す|3=hazusu}}, the verb otherwise used in medieval texts for unsheathing ''naginata''.<ref name = "karl F"/> Some 11th and 12th century mentions of ''hoko'' may actually have been referring to ''naginata''.<ref>Friday (2004), page 87</ref> The commonly assumed association of the ''naginata'' and the ''[[sōhei]]'' is also unclear. Artwork from the late-13th and 14th centuries depict the ''sōhei'' with ''naginata'' but do not appear to place any special significance to it: the weapons appear as just one of a number of others carried by the monks, and are used by ''samurai'' and commoners as well.<ref>{{cite book|last= Adolphson|first=Mikael S.|title=The Teeth and Claws of the Buddha: Monastic Warriors and Sōhei in Japanese History|url= https://archive.org/details/teethclawsbuddha00adol|url-access= limited|year=2007| publisher=University of Hawai'i Press|isbn=978-0-8248-3123-3|pages=[https://archive.org/details/teethclawsbuddha00adol/page/n147 130]–133}}</ref> Depictions of ''naginata''-armed ''sōhei'' in earlier periods were created centuries after the fact, and are likely using the ''naginata'' as a symbol to distinguish the ''sōhei'' from other warriors, rather than giving an accurate portrayal of the events.<ref>Adolphson (2007), pp. 137, 140</ref>

After the [[Ōnin War]] (1467–1477) in the [[Muromachi period]], large-scale group battles started in which mobilized {{transliteration|ja|[[ashigaru]]}} (foot soldiers) fought on foot and in close quarters, and {{transliteration|ja|[[yari]]}} (spear), {{transliteration|ja|[[yumi]]}} (longbow), and {{transliteration|ja|[[Tanegashima (gun)|tanegashima]]}} (Japanese matchlock) became the main weapons. This made {{transliteration|ja|naginata}} and {{transliteration|ja|[[tachi]]}} obsolete on the battlefield, and they were often replaced with the {{transliteration|ja|[[nagamaki]]}} and short, lightweight {{transliteration|ja|[[katana]]}}.<ref name = "toukennagi"/><ref name = "toukenssw">[https://web.archive.org/web/20201226054428/https://www.touken-world.jp/tips/45927/ Arms for battle - spears, swords, bows.] Nagoya Japanese Sword Museum, Touken World</ref><ref name ="en20p42">Kazuhiko Inada (2020), ''Encyclopedia of the Japanese Swords''. p42. {{ISBN|978-4651200408}}</ref><ref name="rekishi200940">''歴史人'' September 2020. pp.40-41. {{ASIN|B08DGRWN98}}</ref>

In the [[Edo period]] (1603–1867), the hilts of {{transliteration|ja|naginata}} were often cut off and made into {{transliteration|ja|katana}} or {{nihongo3|short sword||[[wakizashi]]}}. This practice of cutting off the hilt of an {{transliteration|ja|ōdachi}}, {{transliteration|ja|tachi}}, {{transliteration|ja|naginata}}, or {{transliteration|ja|nagamaki}} and remaking it into a shorter {{transliteration|ja|katana}} or {{transliteration|ja|wakizashi}} due to changes in tactics is called {{nihongo3||磨上げ|suriage}} and was common in Japan at the time.<ref name = "toukennagi"/><ref name="nagoyanaga">{{cite web|url=https://www.touken-world.jp/tips/55511/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118160507/https://www.touken-world.jp/tips/55511/|script-title=ja:長巻とは|language=ja|publisher=The Nagoya Japanese Sword Museum Nagoya Touken World|archive-date=18 January 2022|access-date=10 June 2023}}</ref> In Japan there is a saying about swords: "No sword made by modifying a {{transliteration|ja|naginata}} or a {{transliteration|ja|nagamaki}} is dull in cutting" (薙刀（長巻）直しに鈍刀なし). The meaning of this saying is that {{transliteration|ja|naginata}} and {{transliteration|ja|nagamaki}} are equipment for actual combat, not works of art or offerings to the {{transliteration|ja|[[kami]]}}, and that the sharpness and durability of swords made from their modifications have been proven on the battlefield.<ref name="nagoyanaga"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://katana-kaitori.com/6789|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230327204541/https://katana-kaitori.com/6789|script-title=ja:薙刀の魅力とは？現代にも受け継がれる長柄武器について解説します|language=ja|publisher=The Nagoya Japanese Sword Museum Nagoya Touken World|date=22 July 2022|archive-date=27 March 2023|access-date=10 June 2023}}</ref>

In the peaceful Edo period, weapons' value as battlefield weapons became diminished and their value for martial arts and self-defense rose. The ''naginata'' was accepted as a status symbol and self-defense weapon for women of nobility, resulting in the image that "the Naginata is the main weapon used by women".<ref name = "toukennagi"/>

In the [[Meiji (era)|Meiji era]], it gained popularity along sword martial arts. From the [[Taishō|Taisho era]] to the post-War era, the ''naginata'' became popular as a martial art for women, mainly due to the influence of government policies.<ref name = "toukennagi"/>

Although associated with considerably smaller numbers of practitioners, a number of "koryu bujutsu" systems (traditional martial arts) which include older and more combative forms of ''[[naginatajutsu]]'' remain existent, including Suio Ryu, Araki Ryu, Tendo Ryu, Jikishinkage ryu, Higo Koryu, Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu, Toda-ha Buko Ryu, and Yoshin ryu, some of which have authorized representatives outside Japan.

==Contemporary construction==
In contemporary ''naginatajutsu'', two types of practice ''naginata'' are in common use.

The ''naginata'' used in ''atarashii naginata'' (新しいなぎなた), the ''shiai-yo'', has an oak shaft and a bamboo "blade" (''habu''). It is used for practice, forms competitions, and sparring. It is between {{convert|210|and|225|cm|abbr=on}} in length and must weigh over {{convert|650|g|abbr=on}}.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=P-Nv_LUi6KgC&dq=naginata&pg=PA161 ''Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia of History and Innovation'', Thomas A. Green, Joseph R. Svinth, ABC-CLIO, 2010 P.161]</ref>  The "blade" is replaceable. They are often broken or damaged during sparring and can be quickly replaced, being attached to the shaft with tape.

The naginata used by ''koryū'' practitioners has an oak shaft and blade, carved from a single piece of wood, and may incorporate a disc-shaped guard (''[[tsuba]]''). It is called a ''kihon-yo''.

==Contemporary usage==
{{Main|Naginatajutsu}}
[[File:Naginatajutsu_no_5°_Torneio_Brasileiro.jpg|right|thumb|A naginatajutsu tournament in Brazil, organised by the Confederação Brasileira de Kobudo]]

''Naginata'' can be used to batter, stab, or hook an opponent,<ref name="cats">Katz 2009</ref> but due to their relatively balanced center of mass, are often spun and turned to proscribe a large radius of reach. The curved blade provides a long cutting surface without increasing the overall length of the weapon.

Historically, the ''naginata'' was often used by foot soldiers to create space on the battlefield. They have several situational advantages over a sword. Their reach is longer, allowing the wielder to keep out of the reach of opponents. The weight of the weapon gave power to strikes and cuts, even though the weight of the weapon is usually thought of as a disadvantage. The weight at the end of the shaft (''ishizuki''), and the shaft itself (''ebu'') can be used offensively and defensively.

The martial art of wielding the ''naginata'' is known as ''[[naginatajutsu]]''. Most ''naginata'' practice today is in a modernised form, a ''[[Gendai Budō|gendai budō]]'' called ''atarashii Naginata'' ("new Naginata"<ref name="books.google.com"/>), which is organized into regional, national, and international federations, who hold competitions and award ranks. Use of the ''naginata'' is also taught within the ''[[Bujinkan]]'' and in some ''[[koryū]]'' schools such as [[Suiō-ryū|Suio Ryu]] and [[Tendō-ryū]].

''Naginata'' practitioners wear an ''[[uwagi]]'', [[Obi (martial arts)|''obi'']], and ''[[hakama]]'', similar to that worn by ''[[kendo]]'' practitioners, although the ''uwagi'' is generally white. For sparring, armor known as ''[[bōgu]]'' is worn. ''Bōgu'' for ''naginatajutsu'' adds {{Nihongo|shin guards|脛当|sune-ate}} and the {{Nihongo|gloves|小手|kote}} have a singulated index finger, unlike the mitten-style gloves used for ''kendo''.

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px">
File:Antique_Japanese_naginata_blade.jpg|Antique ''naginata'' blade, [[Tokyo National Museum]]
File:Naginata(2).JPG|A ''naginata'' made in the [[Kamakura period]]
File:Naginata1.JPG|Two ''naginata''
File:Antique Japanese naginata 1.jpg|''Naginata'' blade and a ''saya''
File:Antique Japanese (samurai) naginata blade 5.jpg|
File:Naginata blade.jpg|
File:Antique Japanese (samurai) naginata.JPG|
File:Antique Japanese (samurai) naginata.jpg|
File:Antique Japanese (samurai) naginata 4.jpg|
File:Samurai wearing kusari katabira (chain armor).jpg|1870 photograph of samurai and retainers wearing mail armour and holding ''naginata''
File:Tomoe-Gozen.jpg|The ''[[onna-musha]]'' [[Tomoe Gozen]] on horseback with a ''naginata''
File:NDL-DC 1302763-Tsukioka Yoshitoshi-芳年武者无類 源牛若丸・熊坂長範-明治16-crd.jpg|A duel between [[Minamoto no Yoshitsune|Ushiwakamaru]], who uses a ''[[tachi]]'', and [[Kumasaka]] Chohan, a bandit leader who uses a ''naginata''. From [[Yoshitoshi]]'s [[ukiyo-e]] series, ''Warriors Trembling with Courage''.
File:Takayama-Ukon.jpg|Samurai [[Takayama Ukon]] with a ''naginata''. Ukiyo-e printed by [[Utagawa Yoshiiku]] (1867).
File:Yoshitoshi - Ronin lunging forward cph.3g08656.jpg|A [[ronin]] with a ''katana'' and ''naginata''
File:Dog - Hata Rokurozaemon with his dog.jpg|Depiction of samurai Hata Rokurozaemon carrying a ''naginata''
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Bisento]]
* [[Dao (Chinese sword)|Dadao]]
* [[Glaive]]
* [[Guandao]]
* [[Halberd]]
* [[Podao]]
* [[Woldo]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==Sources==
* [[Clive Sinclair]]: ''Samurai: The Weapons and Spirit of the Japanese Warrior''. Lyons Press, 2004, {{Isbn|978-1-59228-720-8}}, p.&nbsp;110.
* [[George Cameron Stone]], Donald J. LaRocca: ''A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration and Use of Arms and Armor: In All Countries and in All Times''. Publisher: Courier Dover Publications, 1999, {{Isbn|978-0-486-40726-5}} (Reprint), p.&nbsp;463f.

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://international-naginata.org/ International Naginata Federation] {{In lang|ja}}
* [http://www.naginata.jp/english.html All Japan Naginata Federation]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120204081704/http://home.earthlink.net/~steinrl/nihonto.htm Richard Stein's Japanese sword guide]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050802082426/http://www.scnf.org/history2.html Additional History of the Naginata]—Southern California Naginata Federation
* [http://www.koryu.com/guide/naginata.html Naginatajutsu Resources] at Koryu.com

{{Japanese (samurai) weapons, armour and equipment}}
{{Polearms}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Japanese women in warfare|*]]
[[Category:Edged and bladed weapons]]
[[Category:Japanese sword types]]
[[Category:Polearms of Japan]]
[[Category:Samurai polearms]]
[[Category:Polearms]]
[[Category:Hewing spears]]
[[Category:Sport in Japan]]