Okita Sougo's Katana
A blade that strikes three points at once—neck, left shoulder, right shoulder—with a single thrust.
The katana wielded by Okita Sōji is a standard high-quality blade, likely a Kaga Kiyomitsu set (katana and wakizashi) or possibly a Yamashiro Kunikiyo misidentified as a "Kikuichimonji Norimune." It is not a supernatural weapon but a tool of a master swordsman who served as captain of the first unit of the Shinsengumi and a kenjutsu instructor. The blade reflects his advanced skill with the bokken/bokutou and bo staff, and his signature technique, the Sandanzuki (Three Piece Thrust), which could attack the neck, left shoulder, and right shoulder in one strike. His sword was an extension of his role in the Shinsengumi, used in assassinations like those of Serizawa Kamo and Uchiyama Hikojiro in 1863.
Quick Facts
- Character
- Okita Sougo
- Affiliation
- Shinsengumi
- Weapon type
- Katana
Lore & Background
Okita Sōji's katana is tied to his prodigious skill in the Tennen Rishin-ryū, which he mastered by age eighteen, earning the Menkyo Kaiden scroll. He became Head Coach (Jukutou) at the Shieikan in 1861. His signature technique, the Hyakkidou-ri (or Sandanzuki), was his own invention, possibly derived from Hijikata Toshizō's Hirazuki. The Mumyo-ken could supposedly hit all three points simultaneously, but calls this an embellishment. Okita owned a set of Kaga Kiyomitsu (a katana and a wakizashi), and his so-called "Kikuichimonji Norimune" was likely a Yamashiro Kunikiyo instead. The rumor that he wielded a famous katana called Kiku-ichimonji is noted as highly unlikely. His blade was used in the Serizawa Kamo and Uchiyama Hikojiro assassinations in 1863, and he served as a Fukuchō Jokin (vice-commander's assistant) before becoming captain of the first unit in 1865. The source emphasizes that historical inaccuracies exist in popular fiction, such as the belief that Okita killed Yoshida Toshimaro during the Ikedaya Affair, which is not supported by history.
Reader's Guide
This katana functions as a standard high-quality blade, relying entirely on the wielder's mastery of the Tennen Rishin-ryū. Okita's signature technique, the Sandanzuki (Three Piece Thrust), attacks the neck, left shoulder, and right shoulder in one strike. The Mumyo-ken, his own invention, may have been derived from Hijikata's Hirazuki. The blade is best used in close-quarters combat where precision and speed matter, as Okita was an advanced user of the bokken/bokutou and bo staff, though mediocre with the shinai. The hilt is designed for a secure grip, and the weapon is maintained with standard sword care protocols. Combatants facing this blade must anticipate attacks from unexpected angles, as Okita utilized feints and sudden bursts of movement. The weapon serves as a symbol of the Shinsengumi's authority in Kyoto during the late shogunate period, cutting through both physical enemies and political obstacles.
Did You Know?
- Okita was appointed the fifth master of the Tennen Rishin-ryū by Kondō Isami in 1865.
- Okita died from tuberculosis on July 19, 1868, and was buried at Senshō-ji Temple in Azabu, Edo, under his birth name.
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