What Is the Biggest Nodachi Ever Made?

The Norimitsu Odachi is the largest Nodachi in history. It has a total length of 3.77 meters and weighs 14.5 kilograms. Because of this, people believe that the wielder of this sword was a giant.

It was discovered that the sword was forged in the 15th century, but everything else is a mystery. Today, the Norimitsu Odachi is at the Kibitsu Shrine, located in Okayama Prefecture.

The Sword

The Norimitsu Odachi is a Nodachi, a type of Nihonto that usually measures around 3 Shaku or 90.9 centimeters long. Typically, this type of sword weighs around 14.5 kilograms.

The Nodachi was said to be an infantry weapon that the Samurai used against cavalry. Due to its size and weight, wielding it was difficult. It required a lot of skill and strength to use the Nodachi efficiently.

Create Your Custom Sword

Custom Ninjato

Custom Nagamaki

Custom Nodachi

 

People associated the Nodachi with Japanese mythology because of its size. With that, some armies used the Nodachi as a votive offering to a shrine’s patron gods. Others utilized it in prayer before warfare

Since the Nodachi had large dimensions, it was impossible for indoor use, hence, it was only utilized on the battlefield. In the past, there was a belief that the sword could cut a horse and its rider into two.

What Is the Truth Behind the Norimitsu Odachi?

As mentioned, the Norimitsu Odachi and its history are shrouded in mystery. If this impressive sword had a wielder who used it for combat, people believe that it would’ve been a giant. If folklore and legends were disregarded, the colossal weapon was likely a ceremonial sword.

Forging a Nodachi was a challenging task since it required a different and more complicated process. Because of that, creating the Nodachi required skill and expertise. This is why it’s also possible that a skillful swordsmith created the Norimitsu Odachi to showcase their abilities.

Who Were the Famous Swordsmen That Used the Nodachi?

Numerous Samurai warriors used the Nodachi, but Sasaki Kojiro was the most famous wielder of the sword. Sasaki was a Samurai who lived during the Sengoku era and the early years of the Edo period.

It is believed that he was instructed by his master and training partner, Seigen Toda. Since then, Sasaki had opted for the Nodachi as a response to his master’s expertise in using the Kodachi sword. This is a shorter version of the Nodachi, and it measured less than 60cm.

Eventually, Sasaki became a skillful swordsman and mastered the use of the Nodachi. With that, he chose it as his primary weapon.

The Monohoshizao

The Monohoshizao was Sasaki Kojiro’s favored Nodachi. Its name translates to “laundry drying pole”. Compared to the standard Katana that often had a blade length of 70 centimeters, this was around 90 centimeters long.

Although the Monohoshizao was bigger and heavier compared to the Nihonto of other opponents, Sasaki performed precisely and swiftly.

Tsubame Gaeshi

Aside from mastering the use of the Nodachi, he also developed a technique in 1605. This was the Tsubame Gaeshi, which translates to “Rotating Swallow Cut”.

In feudal Japan, Sasaki Kojiro was both feared and respected for his technique and swordsmanship skills. There were no detailed descriptions of his attacks, but various accounts compared it to that period’s popular techniques.

These included the Ganryu Kosetsu To and the Kinshi Cho Ohken.

The two unique moves consisted of strong and quick strikes that were executed downward, followed by fast upward motions. A variant of this attack could be pushing the sword backwards on the second stage of the attack, then blowing upwards at an angle. This mimics an eagle that took flight.

Throughout his life, Sasaki Kojiro has won a lot of duels against other warriors. He only died in the battle against Miyamoto Musashi, one of the greatest swordsmen in Japanese history.