Japanese sword mountings

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  A daisho set of Japanese sword storage mounts (shirasaya) for katana (top) and wakizashi (bottom).
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  A typical shirasaya with sayagaki (attribution or appraisal written on a shirasaya)
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  Naginata shirasaya
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  Tanto shirasaya
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  Wakizashi mounted in shirasaya
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  Yari shirasaya

Mounting for a sword of the itomaki no tachi type with design of mon (family crests). 1600s. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

The tachi (太刀) style koshirae is the primary style of mounting used for the tachi, where the sword is suspended edge-down from two hangers (ashi) attached to the obi.[5] The hilt often had a slightly stronger curvature than the blade, continuing the classic tachi increase in curvature going from the tip to the hilt. The hilt was usually secured with two pegs (mekugi), as compared to one peg for shorter blades including katana. The tachi style koshirae preceded the katana style koshirae.

Katana mounting with a polished black lacquer sheath, Edo period. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

The katana (刀) style koshirae is the most commonly known koshirae and it is what is most associated with a samurai sword. Swords mounted in this manner are worn with the cutting edge up as opposed to the tachi mounting, in which the sword is worn with the cutting edge down.

The han-dachi (半太刀) koshirae was worn katana-style but included some tachi related fittings such as a kabuto-gane instead of a kashira.

Aikuchi, c. 1780

The aikuchi (合口 or 匕首) is a form of koshirae for small swords in which the hilt and the scabbard meet without a crossguard between them.[6] The word literally means ai ("meeting") + kuchi ("mouth; opening"), in reference to the way the hilt fits directly against the scabbard.[7][8] Originally used on the koshigatana (a precursor to the wakizashi) to facilitate close wearing with armour,[6][9] it became a fashionable upper-class mounting style for a tantō (literally, "small sword", nowadays regarded as a dagger) from the Kamakura period onwards.

The shikomizue (仕込み杖, "prepared cane") or jotō (杖刀, "staff sword")[10] is a Japanese swordstick. It is most famous for its use by the fictional swordmaster Zatoichi. The sword blade was placed in a cane-like mounting (tsue) as concealment. These mountings are not to be confused with the Shirasaya (白鞘, "white scabbard"), which were just plain wooden mountings with no decoration other than (sometimes) a short description of the contents.

Some shikomi-zue also concealed metsubushi, chains, hooks, and many other things. Shikomi-zue could be carried in public without arousing suspicion, making them perfect tools for shinobi.

The kaiken (懐剣) is an 8–10 inch long, single- or double-edged dagger[11] without ornamental fittings housed in a plain mount, formerly carried by men and women of the samurai class in Japan. It was useful for self-defense indoors where the long katana and intermediate wakizashi were inconvenient. Women carried them in their kimono either in a pocket like fold or in the sleeve [12] for self-defense or for suicide by means of slashing the jugular veins and carotid artery in the left side of the neck.[13][14]

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  Tantō mounted in aikuchi style koshirae
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  Shikomizue koshirae
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  Tachi and tachi koshirae
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  Kaiken (kwaiken) tanto
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  Wakizashi koshirae
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  Tanto koshirae

Saya (鞘) is the Japanese term for a scabbard, and specifically refers to the scabbard for a sword or knife. The saya of a koshirae (scabbards for practical use) are normally manufactured from very lightweight wood, with a coat of lacquer on the exterior. Correct drawing and sheathing of the blade involves contacting the mune (the back of the blade) rather than ha (the edge) to the inside of the scabbard. The saya also has a horn knob (栗形, kurigata) on one side for attaching a braided cord (sageo), and may have a shitodome (mounting loop) to accent the kurigata as well as an end cap (小尻, kojiri) made from metal. Traditionally the koiguchi (the throat of the scabbard) and kojiri (the chape) were made from buffalo horn.

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  Katana saya
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  Naginata saya
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  Tanto saya
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  Wakizashi saya

The Saya is divided in parts:

• Sageo

A sageo (下緒 or 下げ緒) is a hanging cord made of silk, cotton or leather that is passed through the hole in the kurigata (栗形) of a Japanese sword's saya. There are a number of different methods for wrapping and tying the sageo on the saya for display purposes. Other uses for the sageo are tying the sword to the samurai and hojojutsu. The samurai felt the sageo formed a spiritual bond between them and the sword, and they were very particular about tying it correctly when the sword was not in use.[15]

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  A matched set (daisho) of sageo
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• Kuri-kata

The kurikata (栗形) is a knob that is attached to the scabbard of a Japanese sword. The sageo (cord) that secures the saya of the sword to the obi (belt) goes through a hole in the kurikata.

• Kojiri

The kojiri (鐺) is the end cap of the scabbard or the protective fitting at the end of the scabbard.

• Kogatana and kozuka

Kogatana (小刀), a small utility knife that fits into a pocket on the scabbard, the kozuka is the decorative handle for the kogatana.

• kōgai

The kōgai (笄) is a spike for hair arranging that fits into a pocket on the saya.

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  Tanto koshirae showing a kōgai in its pocket
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• Umabari

The umabari (馬針) is a small knife that is a variation of the kogatana, it fits into a pocket on the saya.

The tsuka (柄) is the hilt or handle of a Japanese sword.

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  Two tsuka katana (top), wakizashi (bottom) in the form of a daisho (matched set)
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  Katana tsuka
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  Tachi tsuka
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  Wakizashi tsuka
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  Tsuka constructed as a single piece and does not have individual separate fuchi, kashira, and menuki

The tsuka is divided in the following parts:

• Menuki

The menuki (目貫) are ornaments on the tsuka (generally under the tsuka-ito); to fit into the palm for grip.

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  Tsuka with a menuki in the shape of standing goose with bamboo
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  Menuki with horse and rider

• Samegawa

Samegawa (鮫皮) is the ray skin used to cover or wrap the handle.

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  Tsuka showing the samegawa
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  Tanto tsuka showing the samegawa
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• Tsuka-ito

Tsuka-ito (柄糸) is the wrapping of the tsuka, traditionally silk but today more often cotton and sometimes, leather.

• Fuchi

Fuchi (縁), a cap type collar or ferrule which covers the opening in the tsuka of a Japanese sword. The tang of the sword goes into the tsuka through the opening in the fuchi.

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  Katana fuchi
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  A daisho pair of fuchi
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  Fuchi with dragon
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  Fuchi with crouching lions

• Kashira

The kashira (頭) is the end cap (pommel) on the tsuka.

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  Katana kashira
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  Daisho kashira, wakizashi and katana
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  Kashira with samurai
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  Kashira with herons and reeds
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The tsuba (鍔, or 鐔) is usually a round (or occasionally squarish) guard at the end of the grip of bladed Japanese weapons, like the katana and its variations, tachi, wakizashi, tantō, naginata etc. They contribute to the balance of the weapon and to the protection of the hand. The tsuba was mostly meant to be used to prevent the hand from sliding onto the blade during thrusts as opposed to protecting from an opponent's blade. The chudan no kamae guard is determined by the tsuba and the curvature of the blade. The diameter of the average katana tsuba is 7.5–8 centimetres (3.0–3.1 in), wakizashi tsuba is 6.2–6.6 cm (2.4–2.6 in), and tantō tsuba is 4.5–6 cm (1.8–2.4 in).

During the Muromachi period (1333–1573) and the Momoyama period (1573–1603) Tsuba were more for functionality than for decoration, being made of stronger metals and designs. During the Edo period (1603–1868) there was peace in Japan so tsuba became more ornamental and made of less practical metals such as gold.

Tsuba are usually finely decorated, and nowadays are collectors' items. Tsuba were made by whole dynasties of craftsmen whose only craft was making tsuba. They were usually lavishly decorated. In addition to being collectors items, they were often used as heirlooms, passed from one generation to the next. Japanese families with samurai roots sometimes have their family crest (mon) crafted onto a tsuba. Tsuba can be found in a variety of metals and alloys, including iron, steel, brass, copper and shakudō. In a duel, two participants may lock their katana together at the point of the tsuba and push, trying to gain a better position from which to strike the other down. This is known as tsubazeriai (鍔迫り合い), lit. pushing tsuba against each other. Tsubazeriai is a common sight in modern kendō.

In modern Japanese, tsubazeriai (鍔迫り合い) has also come to mean "to be in fierce competition."

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  A tsuba carved with a sika deer made by Fujiwara Toshiyoshi. 1800s. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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  Tsuba made by Tsuchiya Yasuchika. Mid-Edo period. Designated as Special Important Fitting by NBTHK.
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  Two tsuba depicting Minamoto no Yorimitsu trying to cut a tsuchigumo with a tachi named 'Hizamaru'. made by Unnno Yoshimori I (left), Gochiku Sadakatsu (right). Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
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  Lotus pond
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  Tsuba with autumn flowers
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  Tsuba with a monkey teasing an elephant with a stick
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  Tsuba with dragonfly in shibuichi

The seppa (切羽) are washers used in front of and behind the tsuba to tighten the fittings. Seppa can be ornate or plain.

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  Tantō tsuba and two seppa
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  Tantō tsuba and two seppa
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  Yari tantō tsuba and two seppa
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  Tsuba and two seppa
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  Wakizashi tsuba and a single seppa

The habaki (鎺) is a piece of metal encircling the base of the blade of a Japanese sword. It has the double purpose of locking the tsuba (guard) in place, and to maintain the weapon in its saya (scabbard).

The importance of the habaki is seen in drawing the katana from the scabbard. It is drawn by grasping the scabbard near the top and pressing the guard with the thumb to emerge the blade just enough to unwedge the habaki from inside the scabbard in a process called koiguchi no kirikata (鯉口の切り方) "cutting the koiguchi". The blade, being freed, can be drawn out very quickly. This is known as koiguchi o kiru (鯉口を切る), nukitsuke (抜き付け), or tanka o kiru (啖呵を切る) "clearing the tanka". This is obviously an extremely aggressive gesture, since a fatal cut can be given in a fraction of a second thereafter (see iaidō). It is similar in connotation and effect as drawing back the hammer of a handgun, chambering a round on a pump-action shotgun, or pulling back and releasing the charging handle on other firearms.

The expression "tanka o kiru" is now widely used in Japan, in the sense of "getting ready to begin something", or "getting ready to speak", especially with an aggressive connotation.

The habaki will cause normal wear and tear inside the scabbard, and either a shim or a total replacement of the scabbard may be needed to remedy the issue as it will become too loose over time. Removing the habaki and oiling it after cutting or once every few months is recommended.

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  A habaki in gold
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  It is first inserted on the blade
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  Then the tsuba is inserted too
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  A pair of daishō with silver habaki