Shōtō

:"This article is about Japanese swords. The homophonic Shōtō "(松濤:しょうとう)" is the name of a mainly residential district of Shibuya ward in Tokyo."

Nihongo|Shōtō|小刀:しょうとう is a length designation for Japanese swords.

The three main divisions of Japanese blade length are:
*1 "shaku" (30.3cm) or less for "tantō" (knife or dagger).
*1-2 "shaku" for shōtō.
*2 "shaku" or more for "daito" (long sword, such as katana or "tachi").

The length is measured in a straight line across the back of the blade from tip to "munemachi" (where blade meets tang). Most blades that fall into the "shōtō" size range are "wakizashi". However, some "daitō" were designed with blades slightly shorter than 2 "shaku". These were called "kodachi" and are somewhere in between a true "daitō" and a "wakizashi". A shōtō and a "daitō" together are called a "daishō" (literally, "big and small"). The "daishō" was the symbolic armament of the Edo period samurai.

See also

*katana
*tachi
*ōdachi
*daitō
*daishō