Shoto
Shoto is a length designation for Japanese swords. The three main divisions of Japanese blade length are: 1 shaku (30.3cm) or less for tanto, 1–2 shaku for shoto, and 2 shaku or more for daito. These are measured in a straight line across the back of the blade from tip to munemachi (where blade meets tang). Most blades that fall under this size range are wakizashi, however some daito were designed with blades slightly shorter than 2 shaku. These oddballs were called kodachi and are somewhere in between a true daito and a wakizashi. A shoto makes up one half of the typical armaments of the samurai called daisho for both long and short sword.
See also
Categories: East Asian swords