In the United States we look at Japan through a very specifically colored glass. We are mystified and excited by what we percieve as a culture where honor, battle, and victory are indelibly linked to the Japanese character. While our perceptions are very exagerated, they are borne of some truth. Japan's history is a history of powerful clans held up by a rigid ranking system, at war with one anohther all throughout Japanese history for territory and resources. Out of this history of battle rose elite warriors whose job it was to unquestioningly do the work of the clan, and the weapons they needed to carry out their vicious orders. Here are some of the raddest weapons Japan could come up with:
Naginata
Naginata are spear-like blades given to the daughters of Samurai as a part of their dowry. Daughters, though not often called to the battlefield to engage in combat, were expected to know how to defend the home. Nowadays men look for a woman who is independent and kind to be their wife, but in ancient Japan when men looked for a wife they looked for a woman who could cook, bowed a lot, and knew how to kill a stranger without getting blood on her kimono.
Kusarigama
Kusarigama are scythe-like blades attached to a long chain attached to a heavy weight. So instead of just cutting down an opponent with your blade, you can whirl around slashing and slashing them, or, use the crushing power of the weight to brain them into submission. The Kusarigama is traditionally wielded either by low-level clan soldiers during large-scale clan skirmishes, or by hot school girls getting revenge on teachers that gave them failing grades.
Matchlock Rifles
Early experiments in multi-shot guns in Japan were somewhat prolific in the Edo period. Though they are outdated now, the guns look so steampunk they make you want to immediately get into a battle with a cybernetic bear wearing a Victorian top hat.
Tessen: Japanese War Fan
Designed to look like an ordinary fan, samurai would take these weapons on missions when they wanted to be covert. Famous people who have used tessen to kill their opponents include Minamoto No Yoshitsune the great warrior monk, Kitana of Mortal Kombat fame, and Miley Cyrus.
Mewtwo
Created by mad Japanese scientists out of an ordinary Mew to be the ultimate Pokemon, no weapon is more powerful than Mewtwo. Who could have predicted that the deadliest weapon in the history of the world would be an angry looking cat who could read your mind?
What other Japanese weapons do you like? Let us know in the comments!
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