Japanese Tachi Sword

Timeline

1. 1221Uji–Ōhara battlefield · KyotoIn the close-combat phase at the Uji River crossing, shogunate and imperial forces made extensive use of tachi slashing and thrusting, supported by long-range suppression with Japanese bows. Samurai swinging tachi on horseback or on foot became the key close-combat weapon deciding the outcome at Kyoto.
2. 1222–1228Kamakura · KamakuraAfter the Jōkyū War, demand for tachi among shogunate gokenin surged; swordsmiths in Kamakura and in Sagami, Musashi and elsewhere forged curved-blade tachi using the wrapped-steel method, with blade signatures and fittings styles gradually settling into typical Kamakura forms.
3. 1229–1230Provinces of Kanto · KantoThe shogunate regulated how gokenin wore their tachi and the edge-down suspension method, distinguishing battlefield tachi from ceremonial dedication swords. The tachi's status as a symbol of samurai identity was further consolidated in Kamakura warrior society.