Yari
Yari (槍) is the Japanese term for spear, or more specifically, the straight spear. The martial art of wielding the yari is called yari-jutsu or sō-jutsu. Yari measured anywhere from one meter to upwards of five meters (3.3 to 16.4 feet). The longer versions were called nagae-yari while shorter ones were known as mochi- or tae-yari. The longest versions were carried by foot troops, while the samurai carried the shorter versions.
Yari were characterized by a straight blade that could be anywhere from several centimeters long, to 0.9 meters (3 feet) or more. The blades were made of the same high-quality steel that the swords and arrow-heads of samurai weapons were forged with, and yari blades were very durable. The shafts were made of wood, with metal rings spaced along the shaft to strengthen the spear during combat. Yari blades (points) had extremely long tangs which were usually longer than the sharpened portion of the blade. The tang protruded into a hollow portion of the handle. This resulted in a very stiff shaft and made it nearly impossible for the blade to fall off. The yari could be considered a much higher quality weapon than the average spear due to these unique attributes. Yari handles were often decorated with inlays of metal or semiprecious materials such as brass pins, laquer, or flakes of mother-of-pearl.
Types of Yari
Various types of Yari points or blades existed. The most common blade was a straight, flat, design that resembles a straight-bladed knife. Both sides of the edge were sharpened. This type of blade could cut as well as stab. The blade was sharpened to a razor edge.
The "sankaku" (literally: triangle) yari had a point that resembled a narrow spike with a triangular cross-section. A sankaku yari therefore had no cutting edge, only a sharp point at the end. The sankaku yari was therefore best suited for penetrating armor, even armor made of metal, which a standard yari was not as suited to.
The "jumonji" and "katakama" Yari had included complicated cross or hooked blades. They were very effective weapons though their more complex blade shapes were extremely difficult to properly forge and sharpen; therefore these were far less common than the above types and were often used for ornamental purposes.
"Fukuro" Yari were secured to the handle by means of a metal socket that was forged as part of the point.
Yari were more commonly used by samurai than were swords, and foot troops (ashigaru) used them extensively as well. While it has not received the same recognition as has the katana, the spear was an invaluable weapon of war.
