1. LEGEND OF THE SWORDKatana is a type of Japanese backsword or longsword. In use after the 1400s, the Katana is a curved,single-edged sword traditionally used by the samurai.

2. Pronounced[kah- tah-nah] in the kun'yomi (Japanese reading) of the kanji, theword has been adopted as a loan word by the English language; asJapanese does not have separate plural and singular forms, both "katanas" and "katana" are considered acceptable plural forms inEnglish.

3. The katana was typically paired with the wakizashi or shoto, a similarlymade but shorter sword, both worn by the members of the warrior class.It could also be worn with the tanto, an even smaller similarly shaped blade.

4. The two weapons together were called the daisho, and representedthe social power and personal honour of the samurai. The long blade wasused for open combat, while the shorter blade was considered a side arm, more suited for stabbing, close quarters combat, decapitating beatenopponents when taking heads on the battlefield, and seppuku, a form ofritual suicide.

5. Japanese swords are fairly common today, antique and even modern forgedswords can still be found and purchased. Modern nihonto or Japanese-madeswords are only made by a few hundred smiths in Japan today at contests hosted by the All Japan SwordsmithsAssociation.