The Japanese sword is world famous for being superior in sharpness and beauty. It has even become a collector's item to have one hanging inside one's home. The history of the Japanese sword is so long and colorful. It spans wars and battles, different periods in Japan, and survives as a thing of beauty today.

In the ancient times, the Japanese sword was a double edged straight blade. That soon changed to a single edged slightly curved blade, and then to a fully curved blade.

There are several classifications of the Japanese sword. Each is differentiated in small but significant ways such as blade length and the curve of the blade.

Shaku is the unit of measurement used in the Japanese sword, One shaku is equivalent to almost 12 inches. A short bladed Japanese sword is called a tanto. The tanto is shorter than one shaku.

For blades that measure more than one shaku but less than two is called a shoto or short sword.

Blades that are longer by as much as two shakus is called a daito or long sword. The single common feature of a Japanese sword is that the handle is usually long enough for two hands to grip it.

Japanese swords were also carried differently depending on the era. Before the 1500s, Japanese swords were carried using a cord. This was called jindachi-zukuri.

Then after this, in the 1600s, a sash was used to hold the Japanese sword. This is the sash you see in the women's national costume. It is called the obi. This fashion statement was called buke-zukuri

If you have seen any ninja movie, you will notice that they carried their Japanese sword across their backs. This method is called odachi (great sword) or nodachi ( field sword). Unfortunately, today the odachi is illegal to have. This is because it is extremely dangerous. So, unless they have a special permit, no ordinary citizen may carry an odachi.

Learning about the Japanese sword is a little confusing because of unfamiliar terms, but if you look beyond the unusual words, and try to get the story behind the Japanese sword, you will find out how fascinating the history is of the sword.

Thus, if you study the places where the Japanese sword were being made, you will notice that they are exclusive to just 5 provinces. In fact, if you look closely enough, and study the history well, you will notice that each Japanese sword has a "trademark" that will separate it from the rest of the group, by virtue of its being from a specific province.

Trying to find a Japanese sword becomes so much easier now that you are aware of the basics of Japanese sword. You just have to be careful who you are dealing with. It is entirely possible to find a genuine Japanese sword but the craftsmanship might not be good. There have been Japanese swords that have been below par that were made years ago. Try to learn more so you can differentiate the good ones from the bad.