All About the Odachi Sword, the Katana’s Larger Cousin

You’ve heard of the tanto, the wakizashi, and the katana - maybe even some more obscure elements of Japanese martial arts like naginata and yumi. But have you heard of the odachi sword, properly an ōdachi, and sometimes also called a nodachi? Get ready to explore this unique Japanese sword.

To keep things as simple as possible, think of an odachi sword as a katana, but bigger. Like the katana, it is a Japanese sword characterized by a long curved blade with a single cutting edge. Typically, to qualify as an odachi sword, the blade of the weapon would have to exceed 35 inches - whereas a typical katana has a blade between 24 and 30 inches. With that said, there is no hard definition or qualifying length for an odachi sword - if it’s a big katana, it’s an odachi. The name odachi comes from the Japanese words “o” for big, and “dachi” (sometimes spelled “tachi”) for sword. Hence, we have “big sword.” The related moniker nodachi comes from “no” for field and “dachi” for sword. So either way, the name means either big sword or field sword. Apparently, the rise of the odachi sword is linked to the Kamakura period, which also corresponded to the first time in Japanese history wherein the country was ruled by samurai and shogun warlords.

Prior to this period, mounted archers practicing kyudo (Japanese archery) exercised the dominant form of combat in Japan. With the rise of the Kamakura period around 1185 AD, following the Genpei War, rose also the prominence of the warlord and the feudal system in Japan. The ability to wage war on foot pursuing this period became a mandate for the shogun and samurai in Japan, and with it, powerful melee weapons. Therefore, the need for a large, imposing sword rose in tandem. With the rise of the shogunate in Japan and the need for better weapons, several schools began to develop. One of these was the Soshu school, in which swordsmiths from around Japan were invited to gather in Kanagawa Prefecture. There, these swordsmiths applied new forging processes and techniques to yield better sword stocks; though these are not fully understood historically, it is known that superior forging and tempering processes were developed that made it possible to make swords with longer blades that could better withstand the rigors of warfare. Because of its length, the odachi is a more difficult design for a smith to produce than a blade of smaller stature; properly tempering any blade stock requires it to be heated (and cooled) with perfect homogeneity in order to prevent warping, cracking, and other stress related damage. Consequently, only master swordsmiths were capable of producing such a blade

Historically the use of an odachi sword was restricted to those that were powerful enough to use it. The sword, which could have a blade length in excess of 50 inches, was impossible to carry at the waist as was customary with other Japanese swords. They were either carried on the back or sheathed, in the hand - or the bearer would have a field aide carry the sword for him. Either way, one needed to be very strong in order to wield the odachi sword effectively, as its length and weight made it difficult to use in close quarters, or on sloped pitches. As a result, it never really saw the same widespread use as other Japanese swords, like katana and wakizashi, that were lighter, shorter, and more effective under a wider range of circumstances.

All the same, because of its length and imposing nature, the odachi sword has become a symbol of strength and bravery, and its image remains popular among those familiar with Japanese feudal history, or of Japanese martial arts. Another use of the odachi is as an offering in a kami, or a Shinto shrine, symbolizing strength, resilience, and courage. As a statement piece, an odachi sword can make quite a display over such a shrine (or within one).

While the use of this Japanese sword was almost certainly more circumscribed than other, shorter blades, it is said that they were used and carried in battle. One potential use of the weapon was against cavalry, as the length of the sword made it theoretically possible to sweep out a horse’s legs from under it - hence the name “horse sword.” To offer another historical instance, Uesugi Kenshin is said to have guards that carried odachi swords; the Asakura clan was also infamous for its use of the weapon. Because of the length and weight of the odachi, in Japanese martial arts, it is said that special downward cuts are executed with the blade, in contrast to the horizontal and diagonal cuts typically practiced with a katana.

True Swords is your source for a variety of hand-forged types of swords, including Japanese swords. Whether you’re looking for an odachi, a katana with a damascus blade, a tanto, a shirasaya, or some other esoteric piece of Japanese history, look here first - and get in touch with us if you have any questions about our swords or processes we follow.