Dotanuki
Encyclopedia
Dōtanuki is a name assumed by a number of Japanese swordsmiths from the Eiroku period
(1558–1570) onwards, originally named for their place of origin in Kikuchi, old Higo province
. Many of their swords were unusually heavy, wide, or thick, so it became common in fiction to treat “dōtanuki” as a form of heavy-duty, utilitarian katana
.
The artistic features of the dōtanuki swords are rather unremarkable, supposedly due to the lack of the laminated construction that most other Japanese swords have. Most books on nihonto don't even mention this school, or do so only in passing. Edo period sword testers seemed to not value them much, since dōtanuki blades are not found among the wazamono listings.
Lone Wolf and Cub
had a dōtanuki as his principal weapon. The katana named Gassan in Soulcalibur II and Soulcalibur III is a dōtanuki. Gassan is wielded by Mitsurugi in Soulcalibur III.
Many works of historical fiction
write dōtanuki with different characters as 胴田貫 (roughly “torso–paddy
–penetrate”), with a folk etymology claiming it’s because, when used to cut the torso of a cadaver
lying down in a paddy, the sword would pierce right through it and into the field. This name and story apparently originated in fiction, as they are not found in any historical manuals or catalogues.
Eiroku
was a after Kōji and before Genki. This period spanned the years from February 1558 through April 1570. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:* 1558 : The era name was changed to mark the enthronement of Emperor Ōgimachi...
(1558–1570) onwards, originally named for their place of origin in Kikuchi, old Higo province
Higo Province
Higo Province was an old province of Japan in the area that is today Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū. It was sometimes called , with Hizen Province. Higo bordered on Chikugo, Bungo, Hyūga, Ōsumi, and Satsuma Provinces....
. Many of their swords were unusually heavy, wide, or thick, so it became common in fiction to treat “dōtanuki” as a form of heavy-duty, utilitarian katana
Katana
A Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
.
The artistic features of the dōtanuki swords are rather unremarkable, supposedly due to the lack of the laminated construction that most other Japanese swords have. Most books on nihonto don't even mention this school, or do so only in passing. Edo period sword testers seemed to not value them much, since dōtanuki blades are not found among the wazamono listings.
Fictional references
The dōtanuki has appeared in several entertainment outlets. Ogami Ittō in the mangaManga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
Lone Wolf and Cub
Lone Wolf and Cub
is a manga created by writer Kazuo Koike and artist Goseki Kojima. First published in 1970, the story was adapted into six films starring Tomisaburo Wakayama, four plays, a television series starring Yorozuya Kinnosuke, and is widely recognized as an important and influential work.Lone Wolf and Cub...
had a dōtanuki as his principal weapon. The katana named Gassan in Soulcalibur II and Soulcalibur III is a dōtanuki. Gassan is wielded by Mitsurugi in Soulcalibur III.
Many works of historical fiction
Jidaigeki
is a genre of film, television, and theatre in Japan. The name means "period drama" and is usually the Edo period of Japanese history, from 1603 to 1868. Some, however, are set much earlier—Portrait of Hell, for example, is set during the late Heian period—and the early Meiji era is also a popular...
write dōtanuki with different characters as 胴田貫 (roughly “torso–paddy
Paddy field
A paddy field is a flooded parcel of arable land used for growing rice and other semiaquatic crops. Paddy fields are a typical feature of rice farming in east, south and southeast Asia. Paddies can be built into steep hillsides as terraces and adjacent to depressed or steeply sloped features such...
–penetrate”), with a folk etymology claiming it’s because, when used to cut the torso of a cadaver
Tameshigiri
Tameshigiri is the Japanese art of target test cutting. The kanji literally mean "test cut"...
lying down in a paddy, the sword would pierce right through it and into the field. This name and story apparently originated in fiction, as they are not found in any historical manuals or catalogues.