近世日本武士와 帶刀

Bushi in the Tokugawa period and swords

Bushi in the Tokugawa period always wore two swords on the waist. Length and weight of the sword was made suitable for the carrier’s body condition. Sword decoration was also various according to personal taste. Therefore, everyone could know to whom the sword belonged by only its appearance. That is, the characters and values of the owner were reflected on the sword. Ruth Benedict once argued that Japanese had the tendency of considering his body and his sword as one. Bushi in the Tokugawa period though his sword was the same with the owner’s personality. Bushi tired not to forget the spirit of struggle and the spirit not to be afraid of dying over swords. Swords were the last only means that Bushi depended on when they were ready to die. Swords in Tokugawa ages were the symbol of Bushi. Bushi monopolized the night to carry sword. It was accomplished by the result of Sword Confiscation Policy in the Toyotomi period. The Toyotomi government planned the society that Bushi would monopolize swords to symbolize weapons and farmers should own only farming tools and devote themselves to production. Farmers accepted this logic without resistance. To wear two swords was Bushi privilege and also duty. When a Bushi went out without swords, he was punished. When he lost his swords, he was ridiculed. When his sword, furthermore, was taken away, his honor was difficult to recover. Especially, when he was robbed of his sword by a mean person and escaped away, he never wore his swords again. Namely, the status of Bushi was deprived. In the area governed by a certain Daimyo, the punishment to deprive a Bushi of his sword was often considered as heavier than death penalty. That a Bushi was deprived of his swords was as serious problem that his own existence was denied. Sword for the Japanese Bushi were not only weapon but also something to support his spirit.