War and Military Atlas

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Daisho

Early Modern

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The daisho, meaning large and small, is a Japanese term for a matched pair of traditionally made Japanese swords worn by the samurai class in feudal Japan, formed from daito, meaning long sword, and shoto, meaning short sword. A daisho is typically a katana and wakizashi, or sometimes a tanto, mounted in matching fittings called koshirae, though originally the term simply meant wearing any long and short sword together, and a daisho with blades made by the same swordsmith was possible but uncommon because of the added expense.

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