View source for Tachi

{{Short description|Japanese sword worn by the samurai}}
{{other uses}}
{{Italic title|reason=[[:Category:Japanese words and phrases]]}}
{{Infobox weapon
| name               = {{Nihongo|Tachi|太刀}}
| image              = 太刀 銘 正恒 附 菊桐紋散糸巻太刀拵 Blade and Mounting for a Tachi.jpg
| caption            = ''Itomaki-no-tachi'' style sword mounting with chrysanthemum and paulownia crests on nashiji laquer ground. The blade was made by Masatsune. Blade, 12th century; mounting, 18th century. [[Tokyo National Museum]].
| type               = [[Sword]]
<!-- Type selection -->| length             = 
| sheath_type        = [[Japanese lacquerware|Lacquered wood]]
| head_type          = 
| haft_type          = 
| image_size         = 350
| origin             = Japan
| is_bladed          = yes
<!-- Production history -->| production_date    = [[Heian period]] (794–1185) to present
<!-- General specifications -->| weight             = 
| part_length        = approx. {{convert|70–80|cm|abbr=on}}
<!-- Bladed weapon specifications -->| blade_type         = Curved, single-edged
| hilt_type          = 
}}

A {{Nihongo||[[wiktionary:太刀|太刀]]|'''tachi'''}} is a type of sabre-like traditionally made [[Japanese sword]] [[Commons:Category:Nihonto|(''nihonto'')]] worn by the [[samurai]] class of feudal Japan. ''Tachi'' and ''[[katana|uchigatana]]'' ("''katana''") generally differ in length, degree of curvature, and how they were worn when sheathed, the latter depending on the location of the {{Nihongo|2=銘|3=mei}}, or signature, on the [[tang (tools)|tang]]. The ''tachi'' style of swords preceded the development of the ''katana'', which was not mentioned by name until near the end of the twelfth century.<ref name="Turnbull2011">{{cite book|last=Turnbull|first=Stephen|title=Katana: The Samurai Sword|date=8 February 2011|publisher=Osprey Publishing|isbn=978-1-84908-658-5|page=22}}</ref> ''Tachi'' were the mainstream Japanese swords of the Kotō period between 900 and 1596.<ref>{{cite book|last=Nagayama|first=Kōkan|author-link=Kōkan Nagayama|title=The Connoisseur's Book of Japanese Swords|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zPyswmGDBFkC|year=1997|publisher=Kodansha International|isbn=978-4-7700-2071-0}}, page 48</ref> Even after the [[Muromachi period]] (1336–1573), when ''katana'' became the mainstream, ''tachi'' were often worn by high-ranking samurai.

== History ==
[[File:Blacksmith Munechika, helped by a fox spirit, forging the blade Ko-Gitsune Maru, by Ogata Gekkō.jpg|thumb|upright|In the [[noh drama]] {{lang|ja-Latn|Sanjō Kokaji}}, the 10th-century blacksmith Munechika, aided by a {{lang|ja-Latn|[[kitsune]]}} (fox spirit), forges the {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} (samurai sword) {{lang|ja-Latn|Ko-Gitsune Maru}}.]]

[[File:蕨手刀, Warabiteto, 8th century.jpg|thumb|{{lang|ja-Latn|Warabitetō}}, 8th century, [[Heian period]], [[Satsumon culture]], [[Tokyo National Museum]]]]
[[File:Kenuki-gata tachi at Ise Shrine.jpg|thumb|{{lang|ja-Latn|Kenukigata tachi}} at [[Ise Grand Shrine]], [[Heian period]]. [[Important Cultural Property (Japan)|Important Cultural Property]].]]
[[File:大包平, Okanehira.jpg|thumb|{{lang|ja-Latn|Tachi, [[Ōkanehira (sword)|Okanehira]]}}, by Kanehira. [[Japanese sword#Classification by school|{{lang|ja-Latn|cat=no|Ko-Bizen}} (old Bizen) school]]. 12th century, [[Heian period]], [[National Treasure (Japan)|National Treasure]], Tokyo National Museum. {{lang|ja-Latn|Okanehira}}, together with {{lang|ja-Latn|Dojikiri}}, is considered one of the best Japanese swords in terms of art and is compared to the {{lang|ja-Latn|[[yokozuna]]}} (the highest rank of a [[sumo]] wrestler) of Japanese swords.<ref>{{lang|ja|2=[https://web.archive.org/web/20180322105752/https://toyokeizai.net/articles/-/182612?page=3 ｢日本刀｣の文化的な価値を知っていますか」]}}. {{lang|ja-Latn|Toyo keizai}}, August 2, 2017</ref>]]

The production of swords in Japan is divided into specific time periods:<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20201029155106/https://www.touken-world.jp/tips/10024/ "Transition of {{lang|ja-Latn|cat=no|kotō, shintō, shinshintō}}, and {{lang|ja-Latn|cat=no|gendaitō}}"]. Nagoya Japanese Sword Museum Touken World.</ref>

* {{lang|ja-Latn|Jōkotō}} (ancient swords, until around 900)
* {{lang|ja-Latn|Kotō}} (old swords, around 900–1596)
* {{lang|ja-Latn|Shintō}} (new swords, 1596–1780)
* {{lang|ja-Latn|Shinshintō}} (new new swords, 1781–1876)
* {{lang|ja-Latn|Gendaitō}} (modern or contemporary swords, 1876–present)

The predecessor of the Japanese sword has been called {{ill|warabitetō|ja|蕨手刀|italic=y}}.<ref name="enc202033">Kazuhiko Inada (2020), ''Encyclopedia of the Japanese Swords''. p. 33. {{ISBN|978-4651200408}}</ref><ref name="Warabite">{{cite book|last=Shimomukai |first=Tatsuhiko |title=The Review of the Study of History : Shigaku Kenkyu |url=https://ir.lib.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en/00029913 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210518104125/https://ir.lib.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en/00029913 |archive-date=2021-05-18 |date=30 June 2000 |publisher=広島史学研究会}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first=John T. |last=Kuehn |title=A Military History of Japan: From the Age of the Samurai to the 21st Century |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OMmUAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA34|date=15 January 2014 |publisher=Praeger |isbn=978-1-59228-720-8 |page=34}}</ref> In the middle of the [[Heian period]] (794–1185), samurai improved on the {{lang|ja-Latn|warabitetō}} to develop {{ill|kenukigata-tachi|ja|毛抜形太刀|italic=y}} (early Japanese sword).<ref name="enc202033" /><ref name="Warabite" /> To be more precise, it is thought that the {{lang|ja-Latn|[[Emishi]]}} improved the {{lang|ja-Latn|warabitetō|italic=y}} and developed {{ill|Kenukigata-warabitetō|ja|毛抜形蕨手刀|italic=y}} with a hole in the hilt and {{ill|kenukigatatō|ja|毛抜形刀|italic=y}} without decorations on the tip of the hilt, and the samurai developed {{lang|ja-Latn|kenukigata-tachi|italic=y}} based on these swords.<ref>Tatsuhiko Shimomukai (2007). {{lang|ja|武士の成長と院政 日本の歴史 07}}. [[Kodansha]]. {{ISBN|978-4062919074}}.</ref> {{lang|ja-Latn|Kenukigata-tachi}}, which was developed in the first half of the 10th century, has a three-dimensional cross-sectional shape of an elongated pentagonal or hexagonal blade called {{lang|ja-Latn|shinogi-zukuri}} and a gently curved single-edged blade, typical features of Japanese swords. There is no wooden hilt attached to {{lang|ja-Latn|kenukigata-tachi}}, and the [[Tang (tool)|tang]] ({{lang|la|nakago}}), integrated with the blade, is directly gripped and used. The term {{lang|la|kenukigata}} is derived from the fact the central part of tang is hollowed in the shape of ancient Japanese tweezers ({{lang|la|kenuki}}).<ref name ="en20p32">Kazuhiko Inada (2020), ''Encyclopedia of the Japanese Swords''. pp. 32–33. {{ISBN|978-4651200408}}</ref>

In the {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} developed after {{lang|ja-Latn|kenukigata-tachi}}, a structure in which the hilt is fixed to the [[Tang (tool)|tang]] ({{lang|ja-Latn|nakago}}) with a pin called {{lang|ja-Latn|mekugi}} was adopted. As a result, a sword with three basic external elements of Japanese swords, the cross-sectional shape of {{lang|ja-Latn|shinogi-zukuri}}, a gently curved single-edged blade, and the structure of {{lang|ja-Latn|nakago}}, was completed.<ref name ="en20p32"/><ref name="rekishi2036">{{lang|ja|"歴史人"}}. September 2020. pp.36–37. {{ASIN|B08DGRWN98}}</ref> Its shape may reflect the changing form of warfare in Japan. Cavalry were now the dominant fighting unit, and the older straight {{lang|ja-Latn|[[chokutō]]}} were unsuitable for fighting from horseback. The curved sword is a far more efficient weapon wielded by a warrior on horseback; the curve of the blade adds considerably to the downward force of a cutting action.<ref name="rekishi2036"/> According to historian [[Karl Friday]], before the 13th century, there are no written references or drawings showing swords of any kind were used from horseback.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=q5KBjpGSRgkC&dq=modern+tachi&pg=PA84 P.84]</ref>{{full citation needed|date=July 2024}} However, According to Yoshikazu Kondo, bow and arrows were certainly the main weapons used in cavalry battles, but from around the [[Genpei War]] in the 12th century, the use of {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} on horseback increased.<ref>Yoshikazu Kondo (1997). {{lang|ja|弓矢と刀剣―中世合戦の実像}}. Yoshikawa Kobunkan. {{ISBN|978-4642054201}}</ref> Early models had uneven curves with the deepest part of the curve at the [[hilt]]. As eras changed, the center of the curve tended to move up the blade.<ref name="rekishi2090">{{lang|ja|歴史人}}. September 2020. pp. 6, 36–37. {{ASIN|B08DGRWN98}}</ref>

By the 11th century during the Heian period, {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} were exported to neighboring countries in Asia. For example, in the poem "The Song of Japanese Swords", [[Ouyang Xiu]], a statesman of the [[Song dynasty]] in China, described Japanese swords as follows: "It is a treasured sword with a scabbard made of fragrant wood covered with fish skin, decorated with brass and copper, and capable of exorcising evil spirits. It is imported at a great cost."<ref name="takeot">Takeo Tanaka (2012). {{lang|ja-Latn|Wokou}}. p. 104. [[Kodansha]]. {{ISBN|978-4062920933}}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160828134453/https://mainichi.jp/articles/20160327/ddm/001/070/120000c {{lang|ja|日本の技術の精巧さは...}}] {{lang|ja-Latn|[[Mainichi Shimbun]]}}. March 27, 2016.</ref>

From the Heian period (794–1185), ordinary samurai wore swords of the style called {{lang|ja-Latn|kurourusi tachi}} ({{lang|ja-Latn|kokushitsu no tachi}}, {{lang|ja|黒漆太刀}}), which meant black lacquer {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}}. The hilt of a {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} is wrapped in leather or ray skin, and it is wrapped with black thread or leather cord, and the scabbard is coated with black lacquer. On the other hand, court nobles wore {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} decorated with precisely carved metal and jewels for ceremonial purposes. High-ranking court nobles wore swords of the style called {{lang|ja-Latn|kazari tachi}} or {{lang|ja-Latn|kaza tachi}} ({{lang|ja|飾太刀, 飾剣}}), which meant decorative {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}}, and lower-ranking court nobles wore simplified {{lang|ja-Latn|kazatachi}} swords of the style called {{Nihongo|2=細太刀|3=hosodachi}}, which meant thin {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}}. The {{lang|ja-Latn|kazatachi}} and {{lang|ja-Latn|hosodachi}} worn by nobles were initially straight like a {{lang|ja-Latn|chokutō}}, but since the Kamakura period they have had a gentle curve under the influence of {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}}. Since {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} worn by court nobles were for ceremonial use, they generally had an iron plate instead of a blade.<ref name ="en20p36">Kazuhiko Inada (2020). ''Encyclopedia of the Japanese Swords''. pp.36–44. {{ISBN|978-4651200408}}</ref><ref name="rekishi200937">{{lang|ja|歴史人}}. September 2020. pp. 37–41. {{ASIN|B08DGRWN98}}</ref>

In the [[Kamakura period]] (1185–1333), high-ranking samurai wore {{lang|ja-Latn|hyogo gusari tachi}} ({{lang|ja-Latn|hyogo kusari no tachi}}, {{lang|ja|兵庫鎖太刀}}), which meant a sword with chains in the arsenal. The scabbard of the {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} was covered with a gilt copper plate and hung by chains at the waist. At the end of the Kamakura period, simplified {{lang|ja-Latn|hyogo gusari tachi}} came to be made as an offering to the {{lang|ja-Latn|[[kami]]}} of [[Shinto shrines]] and fell out of use as weapons. On the other hand, in the Kamakura period, there was a type of {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} called {{lang|ja-Latn|hirumaki tachi}} ({{lang|ja|蛭巻太刀}}) with a scabbard covered with metal, which was used as a weapon until the Muromachi period. The meaning was a sword wrapped around a leech, and its feature was that a thin metal plate was spirally wrapped around the scabbard, so it was both sturdy and decorative, and chains were not used to hang the scabbard around the waist.<ref name ="en20p36"/><ref name="rekishi200937"/>

<gallery class="center" mode="packed" heights="130px">
File:Kazari-tachi Style Sword Mounting, Heian period.jpg|{{lang|ja-Latn|Kazari tachi}}. 12th century, [[Heian period]]. [[National Treasure (Japan)|National Treasure]]. Tokyo National Museum.
File:Tachi koshirae 1.jpg|{{lang|ja-Latn|Kurourusi tachi}}, {{lang|ja-Latn|Shishio}}. 13th century, [[Kamakura period]]. Important Cultural Property. Tokyo National Museum.
File:Tachi - "Hyougokusan"style sword mounting.jpg|{{lang|la|Hyogo gusari tachi}}. 13th century, Kamakura period. Important Cultural Property. Tokyo National Museum.
File:黒漆銀銅蛭巻太刀, Hirumaki tachi koshirae.jpg|{{lang|ja-Latn|Hirumaki tachi}}. 14th century, [[Nanboku-chō period]]. Important Cultural Property. Tokyo National Museum.
</gallery>

The [[Mongol invasions of Japan]] in the 13th century during the Kamakura period facilitated a change in the designs of Japanese swords. The swordsmiths of the [[Japanese sword#Classification by school|Sōshū school]] represented by [[Masamune]] studied ruined {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} – broken or bent in battle – to develop new production methods, and create innovative swords. They forged the blade using a combination of soft and hard steel to optimize the temperature and timing of the heating and cooling of the blade, resulting in a lighter and very robust blade. They also made the curve of the blade gentle, lengthened the tip linearly, widened the width from the cutting edge to the opposite side of the blade, and thinned the cross section to improve the penetration and cutting ability of the blade.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20210202160804/http://ihcsacafe.ihcsa.or.jp/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/masamune_j.pdf {{lang|ja|なぜ「正宗」は名刀なのか}}]. Masamune Sword and Blade Workshop</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20191013040019/https://www.touken-world.jp/tips/9768/ {{lang|ja|五箇伝（五ヵ伝、五ヶ伝）}}]. ''Touken World''.</ref>

Historically in Japan, the ideal blade of a Japanese sword is considered to be the {{lang|ja-Latn|kotō}} in the Kamakura period, and the swordsmiths from the [[Edo period]] to the present day after the {{lang|ja-Latn|Shintō}} period focused on reproducing the blade of a Japanese sword in the Kamakura period. There are more than 100 Japanese swords designated as [[National Treasure (Japan)|National Treasures in Japan]], of which the {{lang|ja-Latn|Kotō}} of the Kamakura period account for 80% and the {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} account for 70%.<ref name="toukenkaku">{{lang|ja|[https://web.archive.org/web/20200927012659/https://www.touken-world.jp/tips/10006/ 日本刀の格付けと歴史]}}. ''Touken World''.</ref><ref name="sankei170702">{{lang|ja|[https://web.archive.org/web/20171102185636/https://www.sankei.com/column/news/170702/clm1707020008-n1.html 鎌倉期の古名刀をついに再現　論説委員・長辻象平]}}. [[Sankei Shimbun]]. July 2, 2017</ref>

<gallery class="center" mode="packed" heights="160px" caption="National treasure ''tachi'' from the Kamakura period (Tokyo National Museum)">
File:Tachi Sword - Nagamitsu.JPG|By Nagamitsu. [[Japanese sword#Classification by school|Bizen {{lang|ja-Latn|cat=no|Osafune}} school]].
File:Tachi, Fukuoka Ichimonji "Okadagiri" Yoshifusa.jpg|{{lang|ja-Latn|Okadagiri Yoshifusa}}, by Yoshifusa. [[Japanese sword#Classification by school|Bizen {{lang|ja-Latn|cat=no|Fukuoka-Ichimonji}} school]]. The name comes from the fact [[Oda Nobuo]] killed his vassal Okada with this sword.
File:Tachi Sword - Sukezane(Nikko) 01.jpg|{{lang|ja-Latn|Nikkō Sukezane}}, by Sukezane. Bizen {{lang|ja-Latn|Fukuoka-Ichimonji}} school. This sword was owned by [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]]. 
File:Tachi Sword - Sukezane.jpg|By Sukezane. This sword was owned by the [[Kishū Tokugawa family]].
File:Tachi Sword - Kagemitsu.jpg|{{lang|ja-Latn|Koryū Kagemitsu}}, by Kagemitsu. Bizen {{lang|ja-Latn|Osafune}} school. This sword was owned by [[Kusunoki Masashige]]. 
</gallery>

[[File:Kuniyoshi - 6 Select Heroes (S81.5), A back view of Onikojima Yatarô Kazutada in armor holding a spear and a severed head.jpg|thumb|A back view of a samurai in armor carrying a {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} (sword) and {{lang|ja-Latn|tantō}} (dagger), on his back is a {{lang|ja-Latn|sashimono}} (banner), while holding a {{lang|ja-Latn|yari}} (spear) and a severed head]]

From the end of the Kamakura period to the end of the [[Muromachi period]] (1333–1573), {{lang|ja-Latn|kawatsutsumi tachi}} ({{lang|ja|革包太刀}}), which means a {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} wrapped in leather, was popular. The {{lang|ja-Latn|kawatsutsumi tachi}} was stronger than the {{lang|ja-Latn|kurourushi tachi}} because its hilt was wrapped in leather or ray skin, lacquer was painted on top of it, leather straps and cords were wrapped around it, and the scabbard and sometimes the {{lang|ja-Latn|tsuba}} (hand guard) were also wrapped in leather.<ref name ="en20p36"/>

By the 15th century, Japanese swords, including {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}}, had already gained international fame by being exported to China and Korea.<ref name="tanaka1982">Takeo Tanaka (1982) {{lang|ja|対外関係と文化交流}}. p. 348. Shibunkaku. {{ASIN|B000J7JC30}}</ref> For example, Koreans learned how to make Japanese swords by sending swordsmiths to Japan and inviting Japanese swordsmiths to Korea. According to the record of June 1, 1430, in the ''[[Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty]]'', a Korean swordsmith who went to Japan and mastered the method of making Japanese swords presented a Japanese sword to the King of Korea and was rewarded for the excellent work which was no different from the swords made by the Japanese.<ref name="tanaka1982"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/physicalarts/26/1/26_67/_pdf/-char/ja|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221209071754/https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/physicalarts/26/1/26_67/_pdf/-char/ja|title=Analyzing the words of Wae-geom and Wae-geom-sa in Classical Korean literatures|page=72|author=Junko Oishi|archive-date=9 December 2022|access-date=9 December 2022}}</ref>

Traditionally, {{lang|ja-Latn|[[yumi]]}} (bows) were the main weapon of war in Japan, and {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} and {{lang|ja-Latn|[[naginata]]}} were for close combat. The [[Ōnin War]] in the late 15th century in the Muromachi period expanded into a large-scale domestic war, in which employed farmers called {{lang|ja-Latn|[[ashigaru]]}} were mobilized in large numbers. They fought on foot using {{lang|ja-Latn|[[katana]]}} shorter than {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}}. In the [[Sengoku period]] (period of warring states) in the late Muromachi period, the war became bigger; {{lang|ja-Latn|ashigaru}} fought in a close formation using {{lang|ja-Latn|[[yari]]}} (spears) lent to them. Furthermore, in the late 16th century, {{lang|ja-Latn|[[Tanegashima (gun)|Tanegashima]]}} (matchlock arquebuses) were introduced from Portugal, and Japanese swordsmiths mass-produced improved products, with {{lang|ja-Latn|ashigaru}} fighting with leased guns. On the battlefield in Japan, guns and spears became main weapons in addition to bows. Due to the changes in fighting styles in these wars, the {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} and {{lang|ja-Latn|naginata}} became obsolete among samurai, and the {{lang|ja-Latn|katana}}, which was easy to carry, became the mainstream. The dazzling-looking {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} gradually became a symbol of the authority of high-ranking samurai.<ref name="rekishi200940">{{lang|ja|歴史人}}. September 2020. p. 40. {{ASIN|B08DGRWN98}}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20201012014207/https://www.touken-world.jp/tips/10065/ History of Japanese swords "Muromachi period - Azuchi-Momoyama period".] Nagoya Japanese Sword Museum Touken World</ref><ref>[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>

From the 15th century, low-quality swords were mass-produced under the influence of the large-scale war. These swords, along with spears, were lent to recruited farmers called {{lang|ja-Latn|ashigaru}}, while swords were exported. Such mass-produced swords are called {{lang|ja-Latn|kazuuchimono}}, and swordsmiths of the [[Japanese sword#Classification by school|Bisen school]] and [[Japanese sword#Classification by school|Mino school]] produced them by division of labor.<ref name="rekishi200940"/><ref name="rekishi200970">{{lang|ja|歴史人}}. September 2020. pp. 70–71. {{ASIN|B08DGRWN98}}</ref> The export of Japanese sword reached its height during the [[Muromachi period]]—at least 200,000 swords were shipped to [[Ming dynasty]] China in official trade in an attempt to soak up the production of Japanese weapons and make it harder for [[wokou|pirates]] in the area to arm. In the Ming dynasty of China, Japanese swords and their tactics were studied to repel pirates, and {{lang|ja-Latn|[[wodao]]}} and {{lang|ja-Latn|[[miaodao]]}} were developed based on Japanese swords.<ref name="takeot"/><ref>Koichi Shinoda. (1 May 1992). ''Chinese Weapons and Armor''. Shinkigensha. {{ISBN|9784883172115}}</ref><ref>Rekishi Gunzo. (2 July 2011) ''Complete Work on Strategic and Tactical Weapons. From Ancient China to Modern China''. Gakken. {{ISBN|9784056063448}}</ref>

From this period, the [[tang (tool)|tang]] ({{lang|ja-Latn|nakago}}) of many old {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} were cut and shortened into {{lang|ja-Latn|katana}}. This modification is called {{lang|ja-Latn|suriage}}.<ref>{{lang|ja|[https://web.archive.org/web/20201101012335/https://www.touken-world.jp/tips/9758/ 日本刀鑑賞のポイント「日本刀の姿」]}} Nagoya Touken Museum Touken World</ref> For example, many of the {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} Masamune forged during the Kamakura period were converted into {{lang|ja-Latn|katana}}, so his only existing works are {{lang|ja-Latn|katana}} and {{lang|ja-Latn|tantō}}.<ref name="toukenmasa">{{lang|ja|[https://web.archive.org/web/20201101053621/https://www.touken-world.jp/tips/7966/ 相州伝の名工「正宗」]}}. Nagoya Japanese Sword Museum Touken World.</ref>

From around the 16th century, many Japanese swords, including {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}}, were exported to [[Thailand]], where {{lang|ja-Latn|katana}}-style swords were made and prized for battle and art work, and some of them are in the collections of the Thai royal family.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://kaken.nii.ac.jp/file/KAKENHI--PROJECT-24401020/24401020seika.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211025214241/https://kaken.nii.ac.jp/file/KAKENHI-PROJECT-24401020/24401020seika.pdf|script-title=ja:タイにおける異文化の受容と変容 ―１３世紀から１８世紀の対外交易品を中心として―|trans-title=Reception and transformation of foreign cultures in Thailand; focusing on the foreign trade items of the 13th to 18th centuries<!--Official translation given in the document itself-->|language=ja|author=Ayumi Harada|publisher=[[Japan Society for the Promotion of Science]]|date=24 October 2016|archive-date=25 October 2021|access-date=11 December 2022}}</ref>

In the Sengoku period (1467–1615) or the [[Azuchi–Momoyama period]] (1568–1600), the {{lang|ja-Latn|itomaki tachi}} ({{lang|ja-Latn|itomaki no tachi}}, {{lang|ja|糸巻太刀)}}, which means a {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} wound with thread, appeared and became the mainstream of {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} after that. {{lang|ja-Latn|Itomaki tachi}} was decorated with lacquer decorations with many {{lang|ja-Latn|[[maki-e]]}} and flashy colored threads, and was used as a gift, a ceremony, or an offering to the {{lang|ja-Latn|kami}} of Shinto shrines.<ref name ="en20p36"/>

In later Japanese feudal history, during the Sengoku and [[Edo period]]s, certain high-ranking warriors of the ruling class wore their sword {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}}-style (edge-downward), rather than with the scabbard thrust through the belt with the edge upward.<ref name="Kapp">{{cite book | last = Kapp| first = Leon|author2=Hiroko Kapp |author3=Yoshindo Yoshihara | title = The Craft of the Japanese Sword| publisher = Kodansha International| year = 1987| location = Japan| pages = 168| isbn =978-0-87011-798-5 }}</ref> This style of swords is called {{lang|ja-Latn|handachi}}, "half {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}}". In {{lang|ja-Latn|handachi}}, styles were often mixed, for example, fastening to the {{lang|ja-Latn|[[obi (sash)|obi]]}} was {{lang|ja-Latn|katana}} style, but metalworking of the scabbard was {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} style.<ref>{{lang|ja-Latn|[https://web.archive.org/web/20130702060400/https://www.weblio.jp/content/%E5%8D%8A%E5%A4%AA%E5%88%80%E6%8B%B5 Handachi-Goshirae]}}. ''weblio''.</ref>

With the rise of [[statism in Shōwa Japan]], the [[Imperial Japanese Army]] and the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] implemented swords called {{lang|ja-Latn|[[Guntō#Shin guntō (new military sword)|shin guntō]]}}, worn {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} style (cutting-edge down).<ref>Philip S. Jowett (2002). ''The Japanese Army, 1931–45''. Vol. 1: ''The Japanese Army 1931–42''. Osprey. {{ISBN|1-84176-353-5|978-1-84176-353-8}}. p. 41.</ref>

In the Shintō period from around 1596 in the [[Azuchi–Momoyama period]], the traditional techniques of the Kotō period were lost, and no smith was able to reproduce the {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} of the Kamakura period. However, in 2014, Kunihira Kawachi succeeded in reproducing a {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} from the Kamakura period. He received the Masamune Prize, the highest honor as a swordsmith. On the {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} he forged, {{lang|ja-Latn|midare-utsuri}} (a pattern of hazy white shadows between {{lang|ja-Latn|[[Hamon (swordsmithing)|hamon]]}} and {{lang|ja-Latn|shinogi}}), characteristic of the Bizen school in the Kamakura period. Nobody could win the Masamune Prize without extraordinary achievements, and in the field of {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} and {{lang|ja-Latn|katana}}, no one won until Kawauchi for 18 years.<ref name="toukenutsu">{{lang|ja|[https://web.archive.org/web/20201123171341/https://www.touken-world.jp/tips/55409/ 日本刀鑑賞のポイント「日本刀の映りとは」]}}. Nagoya Japanese Sword Museum Touken World</ref>

<gallery class="center" mode="packed" heights="160px">
File:Katana, Sōshū Masamune (Ishida Masamune).jpg|A {{lang|ja-Latn|katana}} modified from a {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} forged by [[Masamune]]. Sōshū school. 14th century, Kamakura period. [[Important Cultural Property (Japan)|Important Cultural Property]]. Tokyo National Museum. While it was owned by [[Ishida Mitsunari]], it was commonly called Ishida Masamune.
File:金梨子地家紋散糸巻太刀拵 Tachi koshirae 2.jpg|Mounting for a sword of the {{lang|ja-Latn|itomaki no tachi}} type with design of {{lang|ja-Latn|[[Mon (emblem)|mon]]}} (family crests). 1600s. [[Museum of Fine Arts, Boston]].
File:青漆銀流水文半太刀大小, "Daisho" Style "Handachi" Sword Mounting, Silver stream design on green lacquer ground.jpg|{{lang|ja-Latn|[[Daishō]]}} style {{lang|ja-Latn|handachi}} sword mounting. 16th–17th century, [[Azuchi–Momoyama period|Azuchi–Momoyama]] or [[Edo period]].
</gallery>

== Features ==
[[File:Tachi and katana compared.jpg|thumb|right|Comparison between the [[Tang (tools)|tangs]] (nakago) of a {{lang|ja-Latn|katana}} (left) and {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} (right). The {{Nihongo|signature|銘|mei}} on the {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} tang was inscribed so it was always on the side of the tang facing outward as either sword was worn.]]

With a few exceptions, {{lang|ja-Latn|katana}} and {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} can be distinguished from each other, if signed, by the location of the signature ({{lang|ja-Latn|mei}}) on the [[Tang (tools)|tang]]. In general, the signature should be carved into the side of the tang facing outward as the sword is worn on the wielder's left waist. Since a {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} was worn cutting edge down, and the {{lang|ja-Latn|katana}} was worn cutting edge up, the {{lang|ja-Latn|mei}} would be in opposite locations on the tang of both types of swords.<ref>{{cite book|last1=土子|first1=民夫|last2=三品|first2=謙次|script-title=ja:日本刀21世紀への挑戦|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BWy3gx-0PR8C|date=May 2002|publisher=Kodansha International|isbn=978-4-7700-2854-9 |page=30}}</ref>

An authentic {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} had an average cutting edge length ({{Transliteration|ja|nagasa}}) of {{convert|70|–|80|cm}}, and compared to a katana, was generally lighter in proportion to its length, had a greater taper from hilt to point, was more curved and had a smaller point area for penetrating heavy clothing.<ref>{{cite book|last=寒山|first=佐藤|author-link=寒山佐藤|title=The Japanese Sword|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vFS2iT8QjqEC|year=1983|publisher=Kodansha International|isbn=978-0-87011-562-2 |page=15}}</ref>

Unlike the traditional manner of wearing the {{lang|ja-Latn|katana}}, the {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} was worn hung from the belt with the cutting edge down,<ref>Inami Hakusui (2009). ''Nippon-tô: the Japanese sword''. Cosmo. p. 160.</ref> and was most effective used by [[cavalry]].<ref>"A distinguished collection of arms and armor on permanent display", Issue 4 of ''Bulletin, Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History History Division'', Ward Ritchie Press, 1969. p. 120.</ref> Deviations from the average length of {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} have the prefixes ''ko-'' for "short" and ''ō-'' for "great, large" attached. For instance, {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi shōtō}} and closer in size to a {{lang|ja-Latn|[[wakizashi]]}} were called {{lang|ja-Latn|[[kodachi]]}}. The longest {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} (considered a 15th-century {{lang|ja-Latn|[[ōdachi]]}}) in existence is {{convert|3.7|m}} in total length with a {{convert|2.2|m}} blade, but is believed to be ceremonial. In the late 1500s and early 1600s, many {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} blades were modified into {{lang|ja-Latn|katana}}, their cut tangs ({{lang|ja-Latn|o-suriage}}) removing the smiths' signatures from the swords.<ref>Kōkan Nagayama (1998). ''The connoisseur's book of Japanese swords'', illustrated ed. Kodansha International. {{ISBN|4-7700-2071-6|978-4-7700-2071-0}}. p. 48.</ref>

For a sword to be worn in {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} style, it needed to be mounted in a {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi koshirae}}. The {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi koshirae}} has two hangers (ashi) so the sword can be worn in a horizontal position with the cutting edge down.<ref>Morihiro Ogawa and Kazutoshi Harada (2009). ''Art of the samurai: Japanese arms and armor, 1156–1868''. Metropolitan Museum of Art. {{ISBN|1-58839-345-3|978-1-58839-345-6}}. p. 193.</ref> A sword not mounted in a {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi koshirae}} could be worn {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} style by use of a {{lang|ja-Latn|koshiate}}, a leather device allowing any sword to be worn in the {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} style.<ref>Daniel C. Pauley (2009). ''Pauley's Guide - A Dictionary of Japanese Martial Arts and Culture''. Samantha Pauley. {{ISBN|0-615-23356-2|978-0-615-23356-7}}. p. 91.</ref>

==Gallery==
Generally, the blade and the sword mounting of Japanese swords are displayed separately in museums, and this tendency is remarkable in Japan. For example, the Nagoya Japanese Sword Museum "Nagoya Touken World", one of Japan's largest sword museums, posts separate videos of the blade and the sword mounting on its official website and YouTube.<ref>[https://www.touken-world.jp/en/video/ Touken World  YouTube videos about Japanese swords]</ref><ref>[https://www.touken-world.jp/en/video-koshirae/ Touken World  YouTube videos on koshirae (sword mountings)]</ref>

<gallery>
File:Tachi Sword - Sukezane(Nikko) 01.jpg|''Nikko Sukezane'', a {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} owned by [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]]. One of 1,000 swords procured by the Tokugawa shogunate in the spring of 1614 from a swordsmith named Iga no Kami Kinmichi in preparation for the Winter [[Siege of Osaka]].<ref>{{Citation| last=Fukunaga | first=Suiken | title=日本刀大百科事典 | publisher=雄山閣 |language=ja |trans-title=Encyclopedia of Japanese Swords | year=1993 | isbn = 4-639-01202-0 |pages=30-33}}</ref>
File:三日月宗近, Tachi Mikazuki Munechika.jpg|{{lang|ja-Latn|Mikazuki Munechika}}, by Sanjō Munechika. A Yamashiro {{lang|ja-Latn|Sanjō}} school. Late 10th century, [[Heian period]]. [[National Treasure (Japan)|National Treasure]]. Tokyo National Museum. This sword is one of the "[[Tenka-Goken|Five Swords under Heaven]]" ({{lang|ja|天下五剣}} {{lang|ja-Latn|Tenka Goken}}).
File:Tachi Sword - Dojikiri Yasutsuna.jpg|{{lang|ja-Latn|[[Dōjigiri]]}}, by Yasutsuna. {{lang|ja-Latn|Ko-[[Hōki Province|Hōki]]}} (old {{lang|ja-Latn|Hōki}}) school. 12th century, Heian period, National Treasure, Tokyo National Museum. This sword is one of the "Five Swords Under Heaven" ({{lang|ja|天下五剣}} {{lang|ja-Latn|Tenka Goken}}).
File:Tachi Rai Kunitoshi 2.jpg|Top: A {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} forged by Rai Kunitoshi. Late [[Kamakura period]]. Bottom: {{lang|ja-Latn|Katana}} style mounting, Early Meiji period.
File:Tachi Osafune Kanemitsu 2.jpg|Top: A {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} forged by Osafune Kanemitsu. [[Nanboku-chō period]]. Bottom: {{lang|ja-Latn|Tachi}} mounting, Late Edo period.
File:Tachi-p1000620.jpg|{{lang|ja-Latn|Tachi}} forged by Bizen Osafune Sukesada, 1515. Scabbard in aogai-nashiji lacquer, gold decorations. Tokyo National Museum.
File:Tachi koshirae (Tachi mountings), Edo period. 太刀拵, 江戸時代 2.jpg|{{lang|ja-Latn|Tachi}} mountings decorated with {{lang|ja-Latn|[[maki-e]]}}. Top and bottom: {{lang|ja-Latn|Itomaki-no-tachi}} style sword mountings. [[Edo period]], 1800s. Tokyo National Museum
File:Tachi koshirae 3.jpg|{{lang|ja-Latn|Tachi}} mounting. Mid-Edo period.
File:Tachi koshirae 2.jpg|{{lang|ja-Latn|Tachi}} mounting. Late Edo period.
File:Koshiate (Sword Hangers).png|Various types of sword {{lang|ja-Latn|koshirae}}, a device used to carry a sword in the {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} style (cutting edge down).
File:Katana-Garbutt01.jpg|Line drawing showing the correct method of wearing a {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}} while in armour
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Japanese sword]]
* [[Katana]]
* [[Kodachi]]
* [[Ōdachi]]
* [[Tenka-Goken]] – "Five Swords Under Heaven", the five best swords in Japan. All of the five are classified as {{lang|ja-Latn|tachi}}.

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{commons category|tachi}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120204081704/http://home.earthlink.net/%7Esteinrl/nihonto.htm Richard Stein's Japanese sword guide]

{{Japanese (samurai) weapons, armour and equipment}}
{{Swords by region}}

[[Category:Japanese sword types]]
[[Category:Samurai swords]]
[[Category:Samurai weapons and equipment]]