Raikirimaru – The Katana of the Tachibana Clan That Cut Through Lightning
Year Eiroku 10 (1567) – The Battle of Yasumimatsu
That summer evening at Yasumimatsu, a storm raged—not in the heavens, but on the battlefield, where steel clashed against steel, and blood mixed with mud. Tachibana Dōsetsu, the commander of the Ōtomo clan’s forces, led the charge, gripping a sword that was no longer just a weapon—it was a legend. As the enemy began forming their ranks, as the first battle cry tore through the air, he was already in motion. He swung Raikirimaru (雷切丸 – "Thunder-Cutting Sword")—the first head rolled across the wet ground, and blood, like an ominous dew, splattered across his armor. Before the enemy could react, two more strikes carved through their bodies like furious lightning bolts splitting mountains. More heads, more bodies, fell in rapid succession. And all of it—faster than an enemy could shout "tatakai!". Dōsetsu, with Raikirimaru in hand, was lightning itself.
Although this katana was forged in an era of blood and war, its journey did not end on the battlefield. After Dōsetsu’s death, the sword passed into the hands of his daughter, Tachibana Ginchiyo, one of the most extraordinary women of the Sengoku period, who wielded the blade to defend her clan against the Shimazu. Later, Raikirimaru was passed down through generations—from one samurai of the Tachibana clan to the next—through the peaceful Edo period and into the turbulent years of the Meiji Restoration, when the world of the samurai vanished, but their legends endured. Today, this sword can be seen at the Tachibana Museum in Yanagawa, Fukuoka Prefecture. Though its blade is now silent, it still bears the marks of the storms it has survived—its curved shinogi-zukuri blade catches the light, as if it still holds the spark of an ancient lightning bolt.
Raikirimaru is a weapon, a work of art, and history written in steel—a legend that does not fade. Its radiance is not only preserved in a museum display case but also shines in popular culture—in anime, video games, and literature. Japan has long mastered the art of breathing new life into its myths, keeping them alive through storytelling. So, too, has the "Thunder-Cutting Katana" been reborn in countless tales, continuing to inspire awe. Did it truly cut through lightning? And how did it transform from an ordinary sword once called "Plover" into a divine blade, said to be enchanted by Hachiman himself—the war god's own lightning-infused katana, forging the legend of a great warrior and commander, Dōsetsu Tachibana? Let’s find out!
What Does the Name "Raikirimaru" Mean?
The sword known as Raikirimaru (雷切丸) is not just a weapon—it is a deadly masterpiece of craftsmanship, a blade that has gained legendary status over the centuries. Raikiri (雷切)—literally "Thunder Cutter"—sounds like a divine decree, a storm’s fury condensed into cold, sharpened steel. The honorific suffix maru (丸), added to the name, elevated it to a mythical level, reserved for only the most treasured and revered items.
Lightning has always been a force of both reverence and fear in Japan—unpredictable, deadly, deciding the fate of life and death in an instant. It appears frequently in legends, often as a mortal threat (as seen in the original maneki-neko tale, which we discuss here: Japanese Lucky Cats, Maneki-Neko: How a Cat Lost Its Head, Then Bit a Snake, and Still Brings Prosperity Today). In Shintō mythology, lightning is the weapon of the gods, a divine strike that marks the earth with celestial will. Raijin (雷神), the kami (deity) of thunder and lightning, was an untamed, wild spirit of the storm, and his wrath descended upon the world as bolts that slashed the sky like blades.
Samurai did not see lightning as a curse, but rather as a challenge—a force to be tamed, mastered, and cut through with a single, precise strike, though only one who had achieved absolute mastery could accomplish such a feat. The legend says that Raikirimaru was exactly that—a sword that faced down lightning itself and won. This is not just "a sword with a beautiful name"—it is a name that became a legend, etched into iron and steeped in blood, power, and the unwavering courage of a warrior who did not bow, even before the wrath of the gods.
What Does Raikirimaru Look Like?
The Original Form – A Majestic Tachi
Raikirimaru was originally a tachi (太刀 – "great sword")—a long blade worn with its cutting edge facing downward, characteristic of the warriors of the Kamakura and Muromachi periods. Its nagasa (長さ), or blade length, was 58.5 cm (1 shaku 9 sun 3 bu)—somewhat short for a traditional tachi, yet still a lethal weapon in battle.
The blade was forged in the shinogi-zukuri (鎬造) style, a classical form where the shinogi—a ridge line along the blade—enhanced both its rigidity and cutting efficiency. The iori-mune (庵棟)—a sharply contoured spine—gave the sword a raw, aggressive appearance.
One of Raikirimaru’s most distinctive features was its deep sori (反り)—the elegant curvature of the blade, which gave it a dynamic form and made it ideal for swift, fluid cuts in cavalry-style combat. Its kissaki (切先), or tip, was chū-kissaki, a medium-length design balancing thrusting power with precise cutting ability.
The Legend of Raikirimaru – The Sword That Cut Through Lightning
Not peaceful day
The sky over Bungo Province was heavy with dark, leaden clouds. The air had turned dense and oppressive, as if the world itself had held its breath, waiting for the heavens, swollen with the rains of a decade, to finally break open and crash down upon the earth. It was the fifth day of the sixth month in the year Tenbun 17 (1548). That day, Tachibana Dōsetsu, a warrior loyal to the Ōtomo clan, a veteran commander whose very name commanded respect and fear, was traveling through his domain.
For hours, he endured the stifling heat, the thick, unmoving haze clinging to the land like a suffocating mist, the suffocating weight in the air that only comes on the hottest of days before a summer storm. Finally, exhausted, he found shelter beneath a sprawling tree near his hometown of Fujikita. The silence of a windless, summer afternoon enveloped him.
Dōsetsu closed his eyes. But not for long.
At first, he felt a cold gust of wind, as if the very nature of the air had changed—becoming sharper, as though sliced by a blade. Then came the silence—that eerie, foreboding silence that every warrior knows, the kind that descends in the heartbeat before an enemy army strikes. When Dōsetsu opened his eyes, he saw the sky split apart, and from the churning clouds, a yellow-white tongue of light lashed downward. A thunderclap tore through the air, vibrating in his bones, in the earth, in the thick, suffocating atmosphere.
And in that very moment, a second bolt struck directly into the tree beneath which he sat.
The flash was so blinding that for the briefest of moments, the world ceased to exist—nothing remained but searing white light. The tree trunk exploded in a shower of sparks and fire. Dōsetsu, a warrior of sharpened instincts, drew his sword and swung—a reflex as natural to him as breathing.
His blade, Chidori (千鳥) – "Plover," cut through the air.
And though it should not have been possible, though no human should have been able to resist the fury of the heavens, his strike cleaved through the very lightning itself.
The world trembled.
A wave of heat crashed into Dōsetsu like a shockwave, yet he was not consumed by the flames. His body trembled with the immense energy that had surged through him. He had survived. But from that day forward, his life would never be the same.
The Wounds Left by the Lightning
Some versions of the story claim he suffered only from persistent pain in his legs, which haunted him for the rest of his life. Others say that the lightning struck him directly, leaving his left leg paralyzed, forcing him to command his armies from a norimono—a palanquin carried by his men. The most dramatic accounts insist that the entire left side of his body was crippled, yet he never ceased fighting, still leading his warriors into battle, still feared, still unstoppable.
Whatever truly happened beneath that tree, one thing is certain: Chidori was no longer Chidori.
It was no longer the light, swift bird soaring over the waves—it was a blade that had cut through lightning, a sword that had challenged the gods and endured.
From that day forward, it bore a new name:
雷切丸 – Raikirimaru – "The Thunder Cutter."
The Sword That Cut Through Everything in Its Path
From that day on, Tachibana Dōsetsu was no longer just a warrior. People whispered that he carried something beyond mere courage—something that even death itself dared not approach. Stories of his supernatural feats spread like sparks from clashing blades.
Raikirimaru, the blade that had cut through lightning, became an extension of his will, both cursed and blessed. From that moment on, every strike of his sword carried something otherworldly—as if the energy of the storm itself had been sealed within the steel.
Year Eiroku 9 (1566) – The Assault on Akizuki Fortress
The mountains of Iwaya were cloaked in night, wrapped in a black mantle thick with the scent of damp earth and a dense mist that clung to the cliffs. Tachibana Dōsetsu, dispatched by Ōtomo Sōrin, had been given an impossible task—to seize Iwaya Castle from the Akizuki clan, who clutched it like a serpent coiled around its prey.
The fortress stood atop a rocky peak, nearly untouchable. A frontal assault would mean slaughter. But Dōsetsu was not a man who accepted limitations. He cut through them.
Under the cover of night, accompanied by his elite guard, he scaled the treacherous cliffs. The mist swallowed their forms, and the wind carried only the quiet breaths of watchful sentries—men who did not yet realize their fate had already been sealed.
When the first Akizuki soldier spotted movement in the darkness, it was already too late.
Raikirimaru sang through the night like a lightning strike. Its blade flashed in a single, brilliant arc. Blood erupted from a severed throat, but before the body could even fall, Dōsetsu had already moved on—like a shadow that never lingers.
In an instant, the darkness came alive.
The gate that was supposed to be impenetrable fell like a sheet of rice paper under the wrath of Raikirimaru.
Dōsetsu was the first through it, and behind him, his men surged forward like a storm. Their assault was swift, lethal, unstoppable. They say that on that night, Dōsetsu alone cut down over fifty men. His strikes were so precise that some of his enemies died before realizing they had been struck.
Witnesses swore that, in the mist-shrouded night, they saw glimmers along his blade—as if the sword still carried the fury of the storm. By dawn, the proud, invincible Iwaya Castle had fallen. A fortress that should have withstood any siege was taken in a single night—without cannons, without a prolonged siege, without mercy.
Tachibana Dōsetsu left no prisoners.
Year Eiroku 10 (1567) – The Battle of Yasumimatsu
The warriors of the Ōtomo clan clashed against the forces of the Ryūzōji clan. The air was thick with the scent of sweat and blood, and the sky was faded, like an old ink painting left to weather with time. Though already plagued by pain, Tachibana Dōsetsu rode into battle like a storm descending without warning. As the enemy warriors began to form their ranks, as the first war cry tore through the air—he was already in motion.
He swung Raikirimaru—the first head rolled across the damp earth, and blood, like an ominous morning dew, splattered his armor. Before the enemy could react, two more strikes carved through their ranks like furious lightning splitting mountains apart. More heads, more bodies fell, their severed forms collapsing before they even knew they had died. And all of this—in less time than it took for the enemy to shout "tatakai!" With Raikirimaru in his grip, Dōsetsu became lightning itself.
A wave of terror surged across the battlefield. Later, men would whisper that before the first bodies even hit the ground, Dōsetsu had already slain seven more warriors, his blade burning like a living flame.
Year Eiroku 11 (1568) – The Battle of Tatarahama
A year later, Dōsetsu could no longer move as he once did. His body had begun to betray him, yet his spirit still burned like iron in a blacksmith’s forge.
They say that when the battle of Tatarahama began, he commanded his men from a palanquin, issuing orders with an unwavering voice. Yet when the moment of decision arrived, he ignored the pain, reached for Raikirimaru, and charged forward—alone—into the heart of the enemy ranks.
They saw his blade cleave through armor like dry wood. They saw him fall, only to rise again, fighting as if the very essence of lightning surged through his body. Later, warriors would swear his sword did not reflect light—it devoured it, as if truly marked by the thunderbolt that had once struck him.
The Last Days of the Storm-Wielding Warrior
Throughout his life, Tachibana Dōsetsu fought in 37 battles, yielding neither to old age, nor death, nor the treacherous wounds he bore within his body. They say that in his later years, when he could no longer walk, he sat in his palanquin, gripping his sword in one hand and a teppō (matchlock gun) in the other, ready to shoot anyone who dared stand in his way.
He died in 1585, departing this world as a man whose legend would outlive entire generations.
But Raikirimaru did not die with him.
The Daughter – Inheritor of the Thunder
When Tachibana Dōsetsu left this world in Tenshō 13 (1585), his body was laid to rest according to custom, but his spirit was never forgotten. Raikirimaru, the sword that had cut through lightning, could not be buried with him—it had to remain in the hands of someone worthy of its legacy. And so, the legendary sword passed to his daughter—Tachibana Ginchiyo. She would wield it, not as an ornament or keepsake, but as a weapon—a symbol that, though lightning had been cut once, it could still strike with full force.
Ginchiyo, raised not as a noble lady, but as an onna-bugeisha—a woman warrior—never feared the burden that most women of her time would have found impossible to bear. At only 16 years old, she took command of the Tachibana clan, becoming its leader in a world where women rarely had a voice, let alone a sword. Raikirimaru was more than just a blade to her—it was her inheritance, a constant reminder of the father who never saw weakness in her, but strength great enough to defy the world itself.
When, years later, she defended her castle against the Shimazu clan, when she commanded warriors, trained women for battle, and stood unshaken at the forefront of her people, it seemed as if the spirit of Dōsetsu still remained with her. With Raikirimaru in her grasp, it did not simply glimmer menacingly—it filled her with an undeniable force of will.
(For more about her story, see Chapter 4 of the book Strong Women of Japan).
The Later Fate of the Katana – From Legends to the Present Day
After Tachibana Ginchiyo passed away in 1602, the legendary sword Raikirimaru was inherited by her husband, Tachibana Muneshige. Recognized as one of the greatest military commanders of his time, Muneshige carried on the traditions of the Tachibana clan, and Raikirimaru accompanied him through many campaigns.
After the Battle of Sekigahara (1600), despite siding with the defeated faction, Muneshige managed to reclaim some of his lands by proving his loyalty to the newly established Tokugawa shogunate. (To be precise—Raikirimaru changed hands multiple times between Ginchiyo and Muneshige; they were even locked in a kind of personal war for some time—but that is a tale for another day.)
Throughout the following centuries, Raikirimaru remained in the hands of the Tachibana family, passed down through generations as a symbol of their legacy and honor. During the Edo period (1603–1868), the sword was carefully preserved and maintained, though rarely used in combat due to the era's relative peace. During the Meiji period (1868–1912), as Japan underwent rapid social and political transformations, the Tachibana family, like many other samurai clans, had to adapt to the new world. Yet, Raikirimaru remained with them, a historical artifact embodying a warrior past.
Today, Raikirimaru, also known as "The Thunder Cutter," is one of the most treasured artifacts housed in the Tachibana Museum in Yanagawa, Fukuoka Prefecture. The museum, located on the former estate of the Tachibana clan, preserves numerous relics from their centuries-long history. Originally a long tachi sword named "Chidori" (Plover), it was later shortened into a wakizashi and remains in remarkable condition. Visitors to the museum can witness this legendary blade, a symbol of Japan’s warrior spirit, which continues to fascinate historians and lovers of Japanese culture alike.
Raikirimaru in Popular Culture
The legend of Raikirimaru has left a lasting impact on modern pop culture, inspiring creators across various media. In manga and anime, Naruto features Kakashi Hatake using a technique called "Raikiri," a direct reference to the Thunder Cutter sword. Similarly, in Rakudai Kishi no Eiyuutan (Chivalry of a Failed Knight), the character Tōka Tōdō wields a "Raikiri" technique, reflecting the mythical ability to cut through lightning.
In video games, references to Raikirimaru can also be found.
- In Nioh 2, players can acquire a weapon called "Raikiri," which crackles with electricity, a clear nod to the sword that once defied a thunderbolt.
- In Final Fantasy XIV, the "Raikiri" blade features lightning-like effects, reinforcing its connection to the legendary weapon.
- In Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, the protagonist uses the "Lightning Reversal" technique, allowing him to redirect lightning strikes—a tribute to the legend of Raikirimaru.
These examples demonstrate how Raikirimaru's story continues to echo through modern works, inspiring characters, weapons, and techniques that reflect the sword's incredible power and symbolism.
The Legacy of Raikirimaru – How Legends Can Stay Alive in the 21st Century
The story of Raikirimaru is not just about a sword that supposedly cut through lightning. It is a testament to how Japan has mastered the art of keeping its myths alive, breathing new life into them across different eras. Like the Norse sagas of the Vikings, Japanese legends do not simply remain locked in history books—they continue shaping the present. Their approach to history and mythology ensures that these tales are not just preserved but reinterpreted in fresh, compelling ways.
Why doesn’t every nation do the same?
Poland, like many other countries, also has epic stories and legendary heroes. But can we make them shine as Japan does? The Japanese never allow their past to fade into archives—they constantly transform it into something new and relevant for each generation. Thanks to this, young people who start their journey into Japanese culture through a game, anime, or manga often delve deeper—discovering real history, traditions, and philosophy.
And so, Raikirimaru, a blade once wielded by a legendary samurai, lives on—not only behind museum glass but in the imagination of generations to come.
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"Strong Japanese Women"
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未開 ソビエライ
An enthusiast of Asian culture with a deep appreciation for the diverse philosophies of the world. By education, a psychologist and philologist specializing in Korean studies. At heart, a programmer (primarily for Android) and a passionate technology enthusiast, as well as a practitioner of Zen and mono no aware. In moments of tranquility, adheres to a disciplined lifestyle, firmly believing that perseverance, continuous personal growth, and dedication to one's passions are the wisest paths in life. Author of the book "Strong Women of Japan" (>>see more)
Personal motto:
"The most powerful force in the universe is compound interest." - Albert Einstein (probably)
Mike Soray
(aka Michał Sobieraj)
未開 ソビエライ
An enthusiast of Asian culture with a deep appreciation for the diverse philosophies of the world. By education, a psychologist and philologist specializing in Korean studies. At heart, a programmer (primarily for Android) and a passionate technology enthusiast, as well as a practitioner of Zen and mono no aware. In moments of tranquility, adheres to a disciplined lifestyle, firmly believing that perseverance, continuous personal growth, and dedication to one's passions are the wisest paths in life. Author of the book "Strong Women of Japan" (>>see more)
Personal motto:
"The most powerful force in the universe is compound interest." - Albert Einstein (probably)
Mike Soray
(aka Michał Sobieraj)
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