Dōtanuki (同田貫) is a name assumed by a number of Japanese swordsmiths from the Eiroku period (1558–1570) onwards, originally named for their place of origin in Kikuchi, old Higo province. Many of their swords were unusually heavy, wide, or thick, so it became common in fiction to treat “dōtanuki” as a form of heavy-duty, utilitarian katana.
The artistic features of the dōtanuki swords are rather unremarkable, supposedly due to the lack of the laminated construction that most other Japanese swords have. Most books on nihonto don't even mention this school, or do so only in passing. Edo period sword testers seemed to not value them much, since dōtanuki blades are not found among the wazamono listings.
The dōtanuki has appeared in several entertainment outlets. Ogami Ittō in the manga Lone Wolf and Cub had a dōtanuki as his principal weapon. The katana named Gassan in Soulcalibur II and Soulcalibur III is a dōtanuki. Gassan is wielded by Mitsurugi in Soulcalibur III.
Many works of historical fiction write dōtanuki with different characters as 胴田貫 (roughly “torso–paddy–penetrate”), with a folk etymology claiming it’s because, when used to cut the torso of a cadaver lying down in a paddy, the sword would pierce right through it and into the field. This name and story apparently originated in fiction, as they are not found in any historical manuals or catalogues.
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