This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Samuraiantiqueworld (talk | contribs) at 06:38, 6 January 2012 (new image). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 06:38, 6 January 2012 by Samuraiantiqueworld (talk | contribs) (new image)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Kaiken" dagger – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (February 2011) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
A kaiken (懐剣, prior to modern orthographic reform kwaiken; also futokoro-gatana) is a dagger 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 the obi for self-defense and rarely for jigai (suicide). A woman received a kaiken as part of her wedding gifts. Many of these daggers had black-lacquered handles and matching scabbards. They could be carried in a pouch of brocade with a drawstring for easy access. In modern times, kaiken have become part of the traditional Japanese marriage, being one of the items carried by a bride for good luck.
External links
References
Nishio Minoru, Iwabuchi Etsutarō, Mizutani Shizuo, ed. (1985). Iwanami Kokugo Jiten (in Japanese) (3 ed.). Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten. p. 155. ISBN 4-00-080003-5. {{cite book}}
: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |origmonth=
, |month=
, |chapterurl=
, |origdate=
, and |coauthors=
(help)CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link)