Kara-tachi sword with gilded silver fittings and inlay
8th century Japanese sword
金銀鈿荘唐大刀
- Type
- chokutō
The Kara-tachi sword with gilded silver fittings and inlay (金銀鈿荘唐大刀, kin gin den kazari no kara-tachi) is an 8th century Japanese sword in the chokutō (直刀; lit. 'straight sword') style. It was one of Emperor Shōmu's favorite swords and was handed down in the Shōsōin Repository.
Because it is an imperial treasure, it is not open to the public, but is sometimes exhibited at the Shōsōin exhibition held in Nara Prefecture every fall.
External links
Facts from Wikidata Q125215811 (CC0); quoted introduction from English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Data retrieved 2026-10-22.
Data: Wikidata (CC0 1.0); Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.