This is the Kikuchi-yari (spear).

[k morita]

This is an old photo(around 100 years before) of Kikuchi-yari (spear).

For your reference....

[John A Stuart]

Thank you. John

[Brian]

Thank you very much Morita san. I think it would be very hard to find a picture of 4 of these yari together. They are fairly rare, and I have yet to see one for sale. I think many of these were converted to tanto.

Dr Stein has this to say about them:

Kikuchi yari (quite rare) are single edged and normally either kira zukuri or shobu zukuri in style. This style of yari was named for the Kikuchi family of Higo during the Nambokucho era (1336-1392). Kikuchi yari look like tanto on long poles. Yari blades may range from approximately 6 inches to well over 2 feet in length. Yari poles range from 6 feet to 8 feet in length. The poles are usually lacquered and may have mother-of-pearl inlay.

 

Fascinating picture. Does anyone have one of these in their collection?

 

Brian

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

Thanks for the great pic Morita san. Never seen 4 different length together, even in picture.

 

Kikuchi yari look like tanto on long poles

 

That should be their origin.

 

Hereunder a drawing about Kikuchi yari types from Knutsen's Book.

[k morita]

Thank you for your replies. :D

I am glad because you have already known the value of the spears(Kikuchi-yari) and the photograph.

I believe that the spears on the photograph is most late Kamakura era(?) or early Nanbokucho era.

 

 

Thanks.

k morita.

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

If the tell-tale about thier origin is right, Kikuchi Takashige led 1000 men as vanguard in battle against 3000 men

of Ashikaga Naoyoshi on 11 December 1336, ordering an ambush in bamboo groves with spears made out from

bamboo staffs with Tanto on their top. He achieved a great victory.

Anyway, both Taiheiki and Umematsu-ron don't report the detail of tanto on bambooo shafts, just the victory against 3000

men using spears, so the shape of this specific yari can be older then the battle.

 

Do you have the original Japanese version of the song "Yari means one-thousand spears" ?

 

"Yari means one-thousand spears.

Outside castles eagles gather

Raise, raise a shout of victory !

 

Yari means one thousand spears.

In the mountains of Hakone,

The pride we have forever

For Kikuchi Bushi." :D

 

Tactically, Hakone seems to have had some importance in the evolving of mass-fighting

instead of duels between individuals.

[John A Stuart]

Hi All, I have been thinking about what the origins of the Kikuchi no Senbon no Yari may be. There are two stories about their origins. 1) Battle of Hakone with Kikuchi Takashige 1336 2) Battle of Chikugo River with Takashige's son Kikuchi Takamasa. Both stories relate as to how these were improvised weapons. However earlier in the same period was when yari were evolving from the socketed hoko to the hoko with kuki. About the same time was a weapon called a tsukushi naginata, which some scholars have misidentified as tsukushi yari, in cases. The kikuchi yari and this tsukushi naginata had very similar characteristics the most important of which is no yokote and no sori, as well as no kerakubi and shobuzukuri or kanmuriotoshi. This leads me to think that although an improvised weapon may have turned the tide in each of those events this type of yari had precedent in earlier forms. I think, also that tanto being strapped to poles may have precedent as well, lost in history. These famous events may have brought recognition post facto, while the true innovation wasn't the weapon but the tactic of mass attack. Certainly the kikuchi yari due to these stories has become a signal honour. What do others think? John

[Bugyotsuji]

Thank you for the interesting photograph and the stimulation to learn more, Mr Morita. The word "Kikuchi-yari" seems to have a kind of magic to it in Japan.