Tanegashima: Guns of the Samurai

Ian with that awesome mustache looks like he sold matchlocks to the Shogun.

Arthur Goetz of Saika Armory here. There are a few things I want to address here. 1. "Tanegashima" is a modern misnomer particularly popular in the West. How it got popularized is too much to explain for a youtube comment, but it's largely due to pop-historians of the last few decades. Tanegashima was only really used for the first decade or so after their introduction. Teppou (Iron Gun/Cannon) was the term used throught the late Sengoku-jidai and through the Edo period. Generally in modern usage, teppou in modern Japanese is a general word for "gun". Hinawajuu (Fire Rope Gun) is a modern term used to denote matchlocks specifically after the popularization of modern firearms to distinguish it. This and teppou are what you will hear most in modern Japan to describe them. 2. Flintlocks and Wheellocks absolutely were produced and known in Japan. They never caught on for a variety of reasons however, which I'm more than happy to elaborate on. Technology from Europe constantly came in through Dejima in Nagasaki via the Dutch. There is a lot to get into here, but it's connected with Rangaku groups ("Dutch Studies"). An example of a gunmaker who was in these circles is Kunitomo Ikkansai, who produced an improved version of the Girandoni Air Rifle in the early 1800's. 3. Japanese matchlocks did not remain unchanged over their history. It was a constant process of refinement and upgrade, to the point of many old guns being later upgraded or retrofitted. Schools of gunnery, set up just the same as other martial arts, proliferated exponentially. In Early Edo, there were about 9 schools; by the end of the Edo period, 250-600 schools had been developed, coming and going, each with their own specifications. The variety is staggering. There is no such thing as a "standard tanegashima". There are standards within schools, affected by regional manufacturing techniques. Cont.

“The samurai always relied on their swords, it is the honourable way to do battle” The samurai the literal instant they got guns:

"Domestic Unrest" is the funniest translation of Sengoku Jidai I have ever heard.

that interesting moment where Ian releases a Tanageshima video before all the other well known Medieval/Historical War youtube channels.

"Noooo, you can't just use a gun! There's no honor in that!" Oda Nobunaga: "I'll buy your entire stock."

Keyboard knights: Longsword! Keyboard Samurai: Katana! Real knights and samurai: GUNS.

Remember, switching to your samurai sword is always faster than reloading.

I was not expecting this. As a Japanese man I am happy you made this video.

Men sad, men see forgotten weapons video, men watch video, men happy.

Part of the reason the stock is shaped that way is because that is the same style that was used by the Portuguese at that period in history. It wasn't so much that the samurai adapted something to be used with their armor. It was more that the Portuguese had already developed a firearm to work with the armor and helmets they were wearing during that time period, and that was what the Japanese adopted as their standard.

I'm amazed it took me this long to realize the term "lock" for firearms may have come from locksmiths making them given their experience with smaller, mechanical craftsmanship. Damnably hard to find any actual etymological backing for it though prior to the 15th century.

I’ve known about these for years. Today I found out why the stocks are so short. Thank you, Ian.

Shortly after Portuguese firearms showed up in Japan, Japan went through its massive civil war known as the Sengoku Jidai. They didn't just have lots of guns, Japan during this time produced so many firearms, for a while there was more firearms on the Japanese Islands than all of Europe combined. During the Sengoku Jidai firearm warfare was revolutionized by Japan, with tactics like "Fire by rank" where the front rows kneel after firing to reload while the rows behind fire over their heads, is believed to have originated in Japan at this time. There was some massive battles during this war as well, particularly the Battle of Sekigahara, involving mass amounts of firearms, and over 160,000 men, numbers not seen again until Napoleon.

Great scene in Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai where one of the bandits is lounging unaware with his matchlock, idly blowing on the match fuse to keep it going, when one of the Samurai saunters up to him and takes him out. Great movies about historical periods, including the Old West, are often set when that era is coming to an end. Look at all the classic Westerns movies that depicted the time the frontier was closing and the old cowboy way of life was on its way out. It was no coincidence that four of the seven Samurai, including the Master Swordsman died, but none of them were killed by the traditional cutting weapons of medieval Japan. They were all shot from a distance by musket men who were not even in camera view. At the end the survivors realized they were obsolete.

ah, the Tanegashima. I remember this weapon from Metal Gear Solid 4

If anyone's still not sold on the short cheek-weld stock (even ignoring that they were used for 300 years), they were also used in Europe as well by armored cavalrymen who couldn't shoulder their carbines on their cuirasses. They were sometimes called paddle stock carbines for the shape of their stocks, and capandball has a great video where he uses one. Ian also has a video where he learns how to use a club stock shotgun and comes around to it, although that technique is different to the Japanese technique. Also also, the Japanese lords of the southern fiefs were so enamored with the arquebus that Portuguese traders sold them thay they invested huge amount of resources into reverse engineering them. Apparently it only took around 5ish years to successfully set up mass manufacturing operations and start cranking out thousands of them.

Interesting note, while they became woefully outdated by the 1800's, Japanese firearms were some of the absolute best in the world for the first half of the 1500's (i.e. before their isolation).

That's a wonderful explanation.It's probably a matchlock gun from the Edo period.I feel that the reason why the decoration of guns is beautiful is because the war period is over, it is economically stable, and it is an era to compete for the beauty of weapons.It's a wonderful gun.Please forgive my poor English. It was good to talk to you.

The number of guns held in Japan during the feudal era was the largest in the world at that time, with up to 500,000 guns in circulation. Therefore, many of them still exist as antiques, and you can get one with a certificate of authenticity for about $500 in Japan.