The Varieties of Japanese Matchlocks
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Of the 320 years matchlock guns
were used in Japan only the first 50 years saw quite active
use. After 50 years the matchlocks were weapons which were not
used on the battlefield but which became symbols of power. There
were many shooting schools and districts that produced matchlocks,
which became an art form with many variations in physical characteristics
and which became the signatures of the various smiths and districts.
There are distinct differences in the guns produced by the various
schools and districts.
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Varieties
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| Satsuma
Tsutsu |
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Satuma was
the lord of Shimazu, which is located at the southern
part of Kyusu island and which faces Tannegashima island.
The guns made there preserved the style of guns which
were brought to Japan for the first time , in 1543. The
standard Satsuma tsutsu, as these matchlocks are called,
is about three feet and several inches; They have the
caliber of 6 Monme and they have very small locks.
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| Hizen
Tsutsu |
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Hizen
was the lord of Arima, located next to Nagasaki on Kyushu
island, and Nagasaki was the only port open to other countries
during Edo Period. The Hizen
tsutsu are heavy guns characterized
by stocks painted with red lacquer.
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| Bizen
Tsutsu |
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Bizen
is the country which faces the Inland Sea, and it is famous
for producing good swords. The matchlocks made there have
very characteristic iron locks and large black stocks
without trigger guards.
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| Tosa
Tsutsu |
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Tosa
is on Shikoku island and it faces the Pacific Ocean; the
lord of this country was Yamanouchi. The locks of this
matchlock are fixed into the stock by vertical pins.
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| Choushu
Tsutsu |
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Choushu
is at the far end of the main island Honshu, and it was
a country of Activists in the Meiji Restoration. The matchlocks
made there have short stocks which do not cover the barrel
fully.
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| Awa
Tsutsu |
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Awa was
the country of lord Hatisuka on Shikoku Island, and it
faces towards Osaka. The matchlocks made there have big,
long, and heavy barrels, but their calibers are rather
small - 1/5 Monme. The barrels are set deeply in reddish
stocks.
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| Kishu
Tepou |
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Kishu
is a peninsula in the central part of Japan to which Tanegashima
had good access by the Black Stream. It is said when Europeans
brought the guns to Tanegashima, the lord was only sixteen
years old when he purchased them. Just after that some
Kishu merchants went there and brought them to Kishu.
The Christian missionaries reported that in the 1570's
there were several large groups of warriors with many
guns hired from there. The matchlocks made there are slender
and light in weight, and their lock parts are square-shaped.
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| Sakai
Tsutsu |
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Sakai
is a city next to Osaka on Honshu island and before Japan
closed the country in the early seventeenth century it
was famous for both industry and commerce. Sakai produced
a lot of guns . Most of them are inscribed with this information
: " Live in Sakai," followed by a family name
and the name of the gunsmith. There are many styles of
matchlocks from Sakai, and many are decorated.
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| Kuitomo
Tetsupou |
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Kunitomo
was a town of gunsmiths where the Tokugawa Shougun ordered
their guns in the late sixteen century. The town is located
in the central part of Honshu island beside Lake Biwa.
The matchlocks made at Kunitomo and at Sakai comprise
almost half of the matchlocks made in Japan. There are
many kinds of Kunitomo guns, and most are practical styles.
One of the three Shogun families ruled this place.
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| Hino
TsuTsu |
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Hino-made
matchlocks have physical characteristics similar to those
made at Kunitomo, which is not far from Hino. There is
a rumor that Hino guns were cheaply made, but there is
no evidence to confirm this rumor.
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| Mino
Tetsupo |
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The matchlocks
made at Mino are heavy and appear to be very durable.
Mino is also famous for the Seki swords.
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| Tsushiura's
Seki School |
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There
used to be many shooting schools in Japan but this is
not so today. One such school which is very well preserved
is Seki School in Tsuchiura city, a small lord's territory
directly east of Edo , now Tokyo. There remain several
huge antique cannon, which, upon occasion, are fired.
Mr. Seki, who is eleventh generation of the master, has
many documents and equipment of the Seki School.
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| Numbered
Guns in the Northeast Part of Honshu |
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In this
region are popular standard guns which are slightly longer
than three feet, but which have larger calibers of 4/5-
5 Monme. Some of the guns have numbers, and the parts
are also numbered, so they are called "Bantutu,"
or "numbered guns." These guns are simple and
practical.
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| Yonezawa
Tetsupo |
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Yonezawa was
a poor country in northeastern Japan ruled by lord Uesugi,
but the matchlocks made there were impressive. They are
mostly Jyu(10) Monme guns with dark colored stocks and
iron locks with big trigger guards.
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| Sendai
Tsutsu |
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Sendai, ruled
by lord Date who sent missionaries to Mexico in the early
seventeenth century before Japan closed the country, is
one of the biggest countries , and matchlocks made there
were simple but very durable. Usually they have only two
pins to hold the barrels to the stocks. Many sizes of
these guns exists, but they all have the same physical
characteristics.
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Other
Forms
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| Tantutu
(pistols) |
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Matchlock
pistols all have very straight grips which are difficult
to hold. To open the pan cover on a pistol the left hand
is also required. Pistols were not regarded as reasonable
weapons so the number of pistols is not large. A strong
arm was needed to manage the straight grip.
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| Bajoututu
(Carbines) |
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"Bajou"
meant "horseback" and hence the Bajoututu was
a matchlock designed to be fired from horseback. These
guns were longer than the Tantutu: many carbines were
used but the 5 Monme is the most popular.
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| The
Standard Size Guns |
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These guns
were the most popular and they exceeded four feet five
inches in length; the barrel length was three feet four
inches. They were made the calibers of 2 to 2/5 Monme,
they had outside spring locks and trigger guards, and
they weighed about 25 pounds.
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| Hazamatutu
(Wall Guns) |
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These
guns were shot from ships or from the windows of castles.
Their length is mostly more than five feet and they weigh
between 50 and 60 pounds.
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| Five
Monme Bajoututu |
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These guns
of .60 caliber had a length of two feet and a barrel length
of 14 inches.
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| Ten
Monme Tsutsu |
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These weapons
were called "Samurai-Tutu" and were of more
than .70 caliber; They were very heavy guns. Most of these
guns are well preserved.
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| Thirty
Monme Tsutsu |
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These weapons
have a caliber of 1.1 inch; their barrels are short -
about two feet in length - but they are very heavy and
weigh about 60 pounds.
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| Fifty
Monme Tsutsu |
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The caliber
of these guns is almost 3.5 inch. Few guns with caliber
over 50 monme exist. They were used as cannons against
ships or fortifications.
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