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{{Short description|Japanese sword}}
{{for|the network monitoring software|Shinken (software)}}
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{{Italic title|reason=[[:Category:Japanese words and phrases]]}}
[[File:Shinken.jpg|thumb|''Shinken'', a katana used in sword-related martial arts practice]]
{{nihongo|'''''Shinken'''''|真剣||literally meaning "[[:wiktionary:真|real]] [[:wiktionary:剣|sword]]"}} is a [[Japanese sword]] that has a forged and sharpened blade. The term ''shinken'' is often used in contrast with ''[[bokken]]'' (wooden sword), ''[[shinai]]'' (bamboo sword), and [[iaitō]] (unsharpened metal sword).

Shinken are often used in [[battōdō]], [[iaidō]], and [[iaijutsu]] (forms of combative sword-drawing), as well as [[tameshigiri]] (test-cutting through targets). In these arts, shinken may be used alongside unsharpened [[iaitō]] (居合刀) or mogitō (模擬刀), training swords manufactured for swordsmanship practice. ''Gendaitō'' (現代刀; modern-made swords) are handmade shinken by one of approximately 250 swordsmiths active in Japan at the moment, members of the Japanese Swordsmith Association. These [[swordsmith]]s are limited by Japanese law to producing no more than twenty-four swords a year each. This limit, along with highly specialized skills and the need for a great deal of manual labour, accounts for the high price that a Japanese-made shinken (Nihontō) can fetch—starting from about US$6,000 for the blade alone, and going many times higher for genuine antique (Mukansa or [[Ningen Kokuho]] are two famous types) blades.

There is also a large worldwide market for "shinken" made outside Japan. Many collectors consider these to be somewhat worthless as collectibles (since they are not [[Nihontō]]), but some martial artists continue to purchase and use them, because of their considerably lower price, ease of acquisition, and also to spare their valuable Nihontō from what some view as abuse. The vast majority of these are made in China, but there are custom smiths all over the world manufacturing swords in the Japanese style.

==See also==
*[[Kenjutsu]]
*[[Battōdō]]
*[[Iaidō]]
*[[Iaijutsu]]
*[[Nihontō]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{wiktionary|真剣}}
*[http://forums.swordforum.com/showthread.php?t=16799/ Japanese Sword Laws FAQ]
*[http://forums.swordforum.com/showthread.php?t=4870/ Collecting Nihonto]
*[http://www.sharpblades.net Nihonto Japanese Swords]
{{Japanese (samurai) weapons, armour and equipment}}

[[Category:Practice swords of Japan]]


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