Tokugawa sword length law

[rematron]

Hi all, I'm searching for a direct translation of the original Tokugawa Bakufu sword length law/proclamation.  I know I read it somewhere (probably in one of my books) but I can't find it.

[Toryu2020]

Search the Yamanaka Newsletters - there was a selective translation of the Tokugawa Nikki there...

 

-t

[rematron]

I see that's another book I need to buy... 

[OceanoNox]

3 hours ago, Toryu2020 said:

Search the Yamanaka Newsletters - there was a selective translation of the Tokugawa Nikki there...

 

Is this what you are talking about?

https://nihontoclub.com/bibliography/jssus/tokugawa-jikki

[Toryu2020]

Correct!

http://ncjsc.org/ncjsc_publications.htm

 

-t

[rematron]

Okay, does anybody please have a copy of that specific part of the text they would be willing to share so that I don’t have to spend $200+ to answer my single question? 

[1kinko]

Certainly not my forte, but Google says Tokugawa max katana length was 84.8 cm and wakisashi max 51.5 cm. 

[rematron]

Thanks Darrel. I did see that too in Google but if the sword law was written with ‘shaku’ being the unit of measurement (no centimeters yet) then I’m wondering if whoever wrote that took into account that the shaku of present is shorter than the shaku of past. (Supposedly. I’m still trying to find proof of that as well) The implication is that a 25” sword today would be considered a katana but the same sword might fall in closer to the maximum wakizashi length of the 17th century. 

[Peter D]

I just ordered it, so I'll let you know once I receive it!

 

[Rivkin]

Markus as always did an excellent publication on wakizashi length.

An important point he makes is that shaku definition was not fixed in permanence.

Another point that needs to be made that the reality existed separately from Tokugawa regulations.

Edo makers generally resisted producing something close to katana regulations on either side (below or above). 

It was an extremely unpopular length. 

Late Muromachi was sort of the opposite when two shaku was the norm.

Generally above two modern shaku was a long sword at all times.

[rematron]

6 hours ago, Peter D said:

I just ordered it, so I'll let you know once I receive it!

 

Thank you @Peter D! 

 

Thank you for that summary, @Rivkin.