A type of Japanese sword, often called a "samurai sword" because of its historical associations with feudal-era Japan.
It is characterized by its curved, slender, single-edged blade, circular or squared handguard (called the tsuba), and long grip to accommodate two hands (the hilt is often given a distinctive wrapping of silk known as tsuka-ito).
The sword preceding the katana is called a tachi. The general difference between a tachi and a katana is how they are carried. The tachi is suspended from one's waist belt with the cutting edge facing down, while the katana is thrust through the waist belt, edge facing up. Also, in general the tachi is more curved and longer than the katana.
