Wakizashi is a short traditional Japanese sword. Mainly used by samurai and worn on the belt. The length of the blade is from 30 cm to 61 cm. The blade is sharpened on one side, slightly distorted. It is usually worn with a katana in the samurai's belt.

In ancient Japan, a sword with a blade length of more than two shaku (60.6 cm) was considered a katana, and less than 2 shaku - a wakizashi.

Wakizashi is made of various shapes and lengths, usually thinner than a katana. 

Samurai used wakizashi as a weapon when the katana was inaccessible or unusable.

Wakizashi were always carried as a samurai's personal weapon. Bushi often called this sword the "guardian."

Experienced samurai used wakizashi in battle as a second weapon - to strike unexpected blows. The katana was held in the main hand and served as the main weapon.

Wakizashi was also used to perform ritual suicide - sepuku, if the samurai did not have a specially designed dagger kusungobu.