Shinken

For Shinken the network monitoring software, see Shinken (software).

Shinken, a katana used in sword related martial arts practice.

Shinken (真剣, literally meaning "real sword") is a Japanese sword that has a live forged blade; the word is used in contrast with bokken and shinai.

Shinken are often used for iaijutsu (combat practice) and/or tameshigiri (cutting) practice and/or iaido. Shinken opposed to an iaito or mogito (an unsharpened manufactured sword for iaido practice). "Gendaito" are handmade shinken by one of approximately 250 swordsmiths active in Japan at the moment, members of the Japanese Swordsmith Association. These swordsmiths are limited by Japanese law to producing no more than twenty-four swords a year each. This limit, along with highly specialized skills and the need for a great deal of manual labour, accounts for the high price that a Japanese-made shinken (Nihonto) can fetch - starting from about $6,000 (US) for the blade alone, and going many times higher for genuine antique (Mukansa or Ningen Kokuho are two famous types) blades.

There is also a large worldwide market for "shinken" made outside Japan. Many collectors consider these to be somewhat worthless as collectibles (since they are not Nihonto), but some martial artists continue to purchase and use them, because of their considerably lower price, ease of acquisition, and also to spare their valuable Nihonto from what some view as abuse. The vast majority of these are made in China, but there are custom smiths all over the world manufacturing swords in the Japanese style. Korehira Watanabe is one of the very few sword makers alive that is still able to craft such quality swords.

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Japanese weapons, armour and equipment

Sword construction	Glossary of Japanese swords Horimono Japanese sword mountings Japanese sword polishing Japanese swordsmithing Tameshigiri

Swords	Chokutō Guntō Japanese sword Katana Kodachi Ninjatō Ōdachi Shikomizue Tachi Tsurugi Uchigatana Wakizashi

Knives and daggers	Kabutowari Kaiken Tantō Yoroidōshi

Polearms and spears	Bisento Hoko yari Kamayari Nagamaki Naginata Sasumata Sodegarami Torimono sandōgu Tsukubō Yari

Practice weapons	Bokken Iaitō Shinai Shinken Suburitō Tanren bō

Armour	Auxiliary armours Bōgu Dō Dō-maru Haramaki Japanese armour Kabuto Karuta Kikko Kusari Mempo Ō-yoroi Sangu Tatami

Armour types	Brigandine Lame Lamellar Laminar Mail Plate Plated mail Scale

Clothing	Fundoshi Hakama Kyahan Shitagi Tabi Uwa-obi Waraji

Samurai accoutrements	Abumi Daishō Horo Kaginawa Kate-bukuro Kubi bukuro Kura Uchi-bukuro Yebira

Chain and rope weapons	Chigiriki Kusarigama Kusari-fundo Kyoketsu-shoge Jōhyō

Clubs and truncheons	Hachiwara (club type) Jitte Kanabō Tekkan Tessen

Staff weapons	Bō Hanbō Jō Tanbō Yubi-bo

Projectile and throwing weapons	Makibishi Oyumi Shuriken Ya Yumi

Firearms and guns	Bajōzutsu Bo-hiya Tanegashima

Other weapons	Kama Metsubushi Ono Ōtsuchi Shobo Suntetsu

Signal devices	Gunbai Hata-jirushi Horagai Kabura-ya Nobori Saihai Sashimono Uma-jirushi

Users	Ashigaru Edo period police Ninja Rōnin Samurai Sōhei Yamabushi

Japanese armour Japanese martial arts Japanese swords National Treasure swords Samurai weapons and equipment

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Shinken

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