The term "Daishō" (大小) in Japanese refers to the traditional set of weapons borne by the samurai, comprised of a katana and either a wakizashi or a tantō. The katana is a long sword (over 60 cm in length), while the wakizashi or tantō is a shorter sword. Typically, the samurai would wear the daishō on their belt, with the katana's cutting edge facing upwards and the wakizashi's or tantō's cutting edge facing downwards. Not only did these weapons serve a practical purpose, but they also acted as status symbols within the samurai class. Non-samurai individuals were not permitted to bear these weapons.
