Nihonto Kanji Pages - Useful Kanji

Listed below are some useful Kanji for when surfing Japanese web sites looking for swords. Whilst this is not everything you will see, it will be enough to get you through the basics. Also, remember that some sites may use different kanji for some descriptions. These are the most common I have found so far. If you know of something that should be added, or notice any errors, please contact me and I will amend the chart. Email: ikkanshi@amnet.net.au

Remember to take time to look at the Japanese pages carefully, these kanji may be seen in combinations as well. A hamon example may be 互の目丁子乱れ or Gunome Choji Midare.

Nihontô Terms - 日本刀言葉

Sizes seen in hamon, hada, hataraki and kissaki descriptions.

Tsukurikomi ( construction ) - 造込

Sometimes you may see these types of Hada written with the kanji 肌 ( hada ) after the name such as 板目肌 Itame hada.

sometimes you may see the kanji 刃 (ba or ha) after a hamon name, such as Natoreba 湾れ刃

the features you find associated with hamon. I have added the kanji for Iri 入( added to) as you see this frequently in sword descriptions.
An example of this may be in a hamon's hataraki description, such as 直小足入 Sugu ko ashi iri or small ashi added to Suguba hamon

Boshi - 働帽子

丸	Maru	乱れ	Midare
掃掛け	Hakikake	地藏	Jizô

Tôsôgu - 刀装具

Different kinds of Kodôgu and accoutrements

鍔	Tsuba	縁	Fuchi
頭	Kashira	目貫	Menuki
小柄	Kozuka	笄	Kôgai
鞘	Saya	白鞘	Shirasaya
拵	Koshirae	ツナギ	Tsunagi
柄	Tsuka	小道具	Kôdôgu

Kanteisho - 鑑定書

Appraisal or judgment papers )

日本美術刀剣保存協会	-	NBTHK Paper
日本刀剣保存会鑑定書	-	NTHK Judgement Paper
藤代鑑定書	-	Fujishiro Judgement Paper
得能鑑定書	-	Tokunou Kazuo Judgement Paper
柴田氏鑑定書	-	Shibata Judgement Paper

Kanji for translating prices on Japanese websites.>

定価	Price	円	Yen
千	1000	万	10,000

Seeing a price on an item on a Japanese web site can be a little confusing at first. If you see this as an example, 定価　250万円, it would read as follows. 定価 = Price, 250万 ( 250 x ten thousand ) 円 ( Yen ). So that would be 250 x 10,000 = 2,500,000 Yen. So 25 万円 would be 250,000 Yen. and 2 万 5 千円 would be 25,000 Yen. Fortunately, many Japanese websites are now displaying prices such as 25,000 円 making all our lives a little easier.

太刀	Tachi	大太刀	O Dachi
小太刀	Ko Dachi	大刀	Daito
小刀	Shoto	刀	Katana
脇差 (脇指)	Wakizashi	短刀	Tantô
槍	Yari	薙刀	Naginata
長さ	Nagasa	反り	Sori
身幅	Mihaba (width from mune to ha)	元幅	Motohaba (width from mune to ha at hamachi)
先幅	Sakihaba (width from mune to ha at yokote)	元重	Motogasane (sword thickness at hamachi)
重ね	Kasane (thickness at base of the mune)	切先	Kissaki
横手	Yokote	帽子	Boshi
区	Machi	棟区	Munemachi
刃区	Hamachi	棟	Mune
銘	Mei	無銘	Mumei
偽銘	Gimei	花押	Kao (makers seal)
年号	Nengo (Era name)	年紀	Nenkai (date inscription)
中心 (茎)	Nakagô (tang)	生	Ubu
茎尻	Nakagojiri	目釘穴	Mekugiana
磨上	Suriage	大磨上	Ôsuriage
天正磨上	Tenshô suriage	時代	Period( translates as 'Times")
古刀	Old Sword ( Kotô )	新刀	New Sword ( shintô )
新々刀	New New Sword ( Shinshintô )	現代	Modern (Today)
江戸期	Edo Era ( Shintô )	初期	Shoki Period ( beginning )
前期	Zenki Period (the first part )	中期	Chuki Period ( the middle )
後期	Kouki Period (late)	末期	Makki Period (the end)
伝	Den ( school )	流派	Ryuha ( School )
国	Kuni ( Province )	鑑定	Kantei

大	Ô ( large )	中	Chû ( medium )
小	Ko ( small )

鎬造	Shinogi Zukuri	平造	Hira Zukuri
片切刃造	Katakira Zukuri	両刃造	Moroha Zukuri
菖蒲造	Shobu Zukuri	鵜首造	Unokubi Zukuri

地鉄	Jigane	肌	Hada
平	Hira	地	Ji
板目	Itame	杢目	Mokume
柾目	Masame	綾杉	Ayasugi
梨地肌	Nashiji	小糠肌	Konuka
無地	Muji	無地風	MujiFû

直刃	Suguha ( Suguba )	湾れ	Notare
Midare	互の目	Gunome
丁子	Chôji	濤瀾刃	Toranba ( Doranba )

匂い	Nioi	沸え	Nie
沸え出来	Nie Deki	匂い出来	Nioi Deki
出来	Deki	足	Ashi
砂流し	Sunagashi	金筋	Kinsuji
飛焼	Tobiyaki	掃掛け	Hakikake
棟焼	Muneyaki	入	Iri ( added to )
鼠足	Nezumi ashi