Naginata Books

[Moritsuchi]

Hi all,

 

are there any good books or texts about Naginata (and Yari), comparing different schools, mountings etc? I've got a huge faible for polearms and want to buy one soon, but have no knowledge beside seeing two blades at the Tokyo National Museum and one lecture of Naginata-do at a Japanese High School and what can be read on Wikipedia. So is there anything you can reccomend?

 

 

[Toryu2020]

Japanese Polearms by Knutsen

Nihon no Meiso by Numata

[kissakai]

Not an easy one to find

 

[1kinko]

You might try the Antique Japanese Polearms FB group.

[Jussi Ekholm]

I have the Japanese Spears by Knutsen and I think it might be best source in English, however it has only about 11 short pages about Naginata + reference images at back. I think for real serious study you will need a combination of a lot of Japanese sources as the problem is that even in Japanese information is quite scattered.

 

I got this great Japanese book about Yari in Japan this summer (published 2021). Even though it focuses on spears it does have interesting reference examples of naginata.

 

Perhaps we could have a discussion in here about things that you have in mind? I think more open discussion would be much more fun than forwarding towards books. My own research specialization is about naginata of Kamakura up until Early Muromachi period but I do know a bit about late Muromachi stuff too, however when it comes to Edo period my interest on those items fades out.

[Moritsuchi]

@Jussi Ekholm I am a second year student of Japanese in University, so reading Japanese sources is not impossible to me, yet not like reading English.

My primary interest is in pre-Edo-Blades. From what I saw I like the shape of Nanbokucho best.

The biggest problem would be that I have found absolutely NOTHING on koshirae for a Naginata. On Facebook in the Japanese Polearms Group were some with shaft, but the few I found online for sale all had at best a shirasaya.

Edit: I've ordered the book by Knutsen. Looking forward to reading it, hopefully it arrives this week.

Edit 2: Here's the picture I found online from which I deduce my liking for Nambokucho:

[Jussi Ekholm]

@Moritsuchi That is wonderful to hear Florian. Your Japanese level is far above mine, and I think you can enjoy so many books. Love for naginata is very rare, they are not appreciated a lot which is a shame. Even in Japan they are often seen as lot below Japanese swords in appreciation.

 

I held a presentation of Kamakura & Nanbokuchō period naginata at Japan Art Expo in Utrecht this June. Unfortunately the timeline of my summer didn't match as I headed to Japan after that and learned and saw a lot in there. So it would have been even better to hold a presentation afterwards but I will add few screenshots from that presentation in here as the Powerpoint is too large to upload. Of course as I learned more during the summer some info in presentation might need bit of tweaking.

 

 

I have added more items to my database during the summer but these will give some info on remaining items from Kamakura - Early Muromachi period.

 

For the koshirae it is extremely rare to find surviving koshirae from Kamakura or Nanbokuchō periods. I have found few in my books but I believe even Muromachi period koshirae for naginata are very rare. So I needed to add some late Muromachi period koshirae to the presentation to get some koshirae info too, and I saw some more now during the summer in Japan. As items are so rare it is difficult to say anything definitive but I think the overall length of the weapon would have often been around 200 cm. There are some as short as 150 cm and some 250+cm but I think around 2 meters would be common size.

 

 

 

So fun that we can discuss naginata Here is one "Holy Grail" for collectors, unfortunately it will be most likely forever unachievable for me. https://www.nipponto.../swords/JT988980.htm

[Toryu2020]

Jussi 

Please do some "tweaking" and post your powerpoint to the articles page after you do. Love that Masazane...

 

-t

[Brian]

Nagtinata and polearms in general are one subject desperate for a decent English book. There is almost nothing with serious info and photos instead of line drawings.
It is such a pity, as I think this subject is one loved by many, that are hindered by the lack of decent info out there. Plenty of examples out there too, to be photographed.
Hope someone is working on something.

[Moritsuchi]

5 hours ago, Jussi Ekholm said:

For the koshirae it is extremely rare to find surviving koshirae from Kamakura or Nanbokuchō periods. I have found few in my books but I believe even Muromachi period koshirae for naginata are very rare.

 

I mean I wouldn't mind having a later koshirae, even if it is edo or gendai, ANY koshirae would be fine to me. My Muromachi Era Katana also has a late Edo koshirae. I even asked around if anyone could make one, but I haven't found anyone who makes naginata, not to speak of a shaft for one. I'd be very interested in your powerpoint or pictures, as I have seen close to zero of actual (pre-edo) koshirae for Naginata.

[kissakai]

My naginata had two hitsuana and I wondered why they were there as they serve no pupose

 

[Moritsuchi]

Well most obvious would be that the Tsuba was not intended for a naginata and just put on it, wouldn't it?

[kissakai]

Just what I thought. I much prefer a no hitsuana tsuba for a naginata

 

[Jussi Ekholm]

Here is the Powerpoint from Utrecht in picture form, slide by slide.

 

[Jussi Ekholm]

And part 2

 

 

[kissakai]

Is this available as a download in it's entirety?

 

[Jussi Ekholm]

Unfortunately the PP was around 30MB I think, so I just took screenshots and posted them one by one. That is the presentation as it was I didn't have notes (other than in my head) for it.

 

I would like to gather up info for a large free e-book with info on naginata but the major issue in that I feel would be the copyrights for pictures. I do have access on wonderful items in books but I don't think sharing them publically would be allowed. I think the above Powerpoint would still be ok as it was supposed to be educational. Would be super fun project to do though.

 

Here is one picture from the book I mentioned above. Usually you'll see stereotypical timelines like these only for swords, this is first one I have seen for naginata.

 

 

And here is one modern very large naginata in koshirae: https://www.higotora.com/works/肥後虎本鍛刀・三尺大薙刀・青貝螺鈿・実戦型拵/

I would love to own one of those someday but I see antiques as more viable options for me personally.

[Toryu2020]

Awesome!

[Caracal]

Naginata (薙刀) - The Samurai's Glaive 

Read more about Naginata on this page.

 http://gunbai-milita...samurais-glaive.html 

[vajo]

Nice article but he forget tsukushi/ chikushi naginata 筑紫薙刀 .

[Geraint]

Dear Chris.

 

Perhaps it's just been added but I see tsukushi naginata just above the rather Chinese looking glaive and the fukuro naginata, no?

 

All the best.

[Baba Yaga]

On 8/21/2023 at 1:32 AM, Moritsuchi said:

@Jussi Ekholm I am a second year student of Japanese in University, so reading Japanese sources is not impossible to me, yet not like reading English.

My primary interest is in pre-Edo-Blades. From what I saw I like the shape of Nanbokucho best.

The biggest problem would be that I have found absolutely NOTHING on koshirae for a Naginata. On Facebook in the Japanese Polearms Group were some with shaft, but the few I found online for sale all had at best a shirasaya.

Edit: I've ordered the book by Knutsen. Looking forward to reading it, hopefully it arrives this week.

Edit 2: Here's the picture I found online from which I deduce my liking for Nambokucho:

 This has been around for a lonhg time and IS very accurate,  Naginata used to be collected at a 35% premium. and have no idea what happen.