The Samurai carried always at his side the embodiment of his very soul: his Daisho (literally meaning long and short), two swords that would stay at his side for the rest of his life, the katana or long sword, and the wakizashi or short sword. These blades were hand crafted for each samurai or, more likely, passed down through generations of noble warriors and therefore, not only held within them the soul of the samurai who wielded them, but the souls of his ancestors as well. Often taking years to create, the evolution of these blades and the process of their creation is a subject that could alone fill entire libraries.



Woodcut print of Japanese samurai Ichijo Jiro Tadanori and Notonokami Noritsune fighting, 1810-1820. Created by Shuntei Katsukawa (1770-1820).