UK Sword Register

No. 59

Type:  Jumonji-yari

Dimensions:    16.5 cm (along the central blade)

                         9.5 cm (between the two arms)

Jihada:              Obscured but appears to be a tight itame-masame hada.

Hamon:             Nioi-deki with some nie.

Nakago:           Slightly suriage, one mekugi-ana. Yoko-yasuri-me at the top becoming sensuki in the lower part. Signed OITE BUYO HOJO MASAMITSU SAKU KORE.

This yari has a fine strong and compact shape in spite of its diminutive size and dates from the middle of the Edo period around Genroku (late 17^th century). The jihada is difficult to discern whilst the hamon seems rather weak.

The cross shaped yari is properly called a magari-yari but it seems more common these days to refer to them as jumonji-yari (derived from the character “ten” which in Japanese is a cross). There are a number of variations in the basic shape of jumonji-yari, variously known as tsuki-gata (crescent moon shaped) chidori-gata (plover shaped) karigane-gata (goose shaped) and others. In this instance, the sharply upturned side arms are said to resemble the horns of a cow and it is therefore known as gyukaku-ugata (cow horn shaped) jumonji-yari.

Many swordsmiths included both yari and naginata in their repertoire but the production of jumonji-yari does not seem to have started before the late Muromachi or Momoyama period (latter half of the 16^th century) when such schools as the Kanabo (a late Yamato province school) made something of a specialty of producing yari and naginata.

It may be that the fencing techniques employing the jumonji-yari were developed at this time by the Hôzôin school of spear fighting, who up until this time only used su-yari (straight spears). It is said that the leader of the school at that time, Inei (1521-1607) was gazing into a calm pond one moonlit night when the reflection of the crescent moon crossed his yari and so inspired the design of the jumonji-yari. The Hôzôin school then ordered many jumonji-yari from the Kanabo swordsmiths. Knutsen also states that this weapon was favoured by mounted warriors fighting from horseback.

However, most of the extant jumonji-yari were produced during the Edo period and were carried in formal parades, especially daimyo processions, where they became known as mochi-yari (held-yari). It was considered a great honour to be selected as the yari-mochi (spear carrier) in such a cortege.

The small size of this particular example may indicate that it is a makura-yari (pillow spear) kept by the bed at night for security, or a nage-yari (throwing spear).

Incidentally, I believe that this is the first time a jumonji-yari has been featured in the UK Sword Register. The cynical among you may think that this is because of the difficulty in drawing an oshigata with so many different cutting edges. This may be the case, but it is not surprising that polishers dislike having to polish such blades and that some even refuse the work for the same reason.

Clive Sinclaire, Bexley, August 2002

Acknowledgements:    

Japanese Polearms, R Knutsen and Sue-Koto Midorkoro, G Robson

Return to Index