The traditional Japanese <i>Nihontō</i> sword as a source of inscriptions and texts

The Japanese sword Nihontō 日本刀 can be viewed through the prism of traditional culture not only as an edged weapon and a work of applied art, but also as an object of veneration in Shinto and Buddhist cults. It bears sacred meanings and symbols, as well as various inscriptions and texts. The article is devoted to the analysis and systematization of most typical sword inscriptions (mostly on the blade tangs), their structure and the nature of information contained. Such sword inscriptions could be extremely laconic, or quite detailed. Some detailed inscriptions are a kind of literary narrative, including puns and even pieces of poetry. The article analyses a representative selection of inscriptions by several famous Japanese swordsmiths found on the blades in Russian and Japanese museum collections.