What blade length is considered standard for a long Japanese katana?
Updated Feb 2026
The standard blade length for a Japanese katana - the nagasa, measured from the habaki collar to the kissaki tip along the back of the blade - falls between 60 and 73 cm for the conventional katana format. This length range was historically established as the primary katana length during the Muromachi and Edo periods, optimized for the draw-from-hip technique of iaido and the fighting styles of foot soldiers and samurai in the peacetime Edo period. Blades shorter than 60 cm fall into the wakizashi category, while blades longer than approximately 73 cm move into the o-katana or tachi territory. The 60-73 cm range allows the curvature to develop fully across the blade length, gives the blade sufficient reach for the two-handed cutting techniques of the Japanese sword tradition, and creates the iconic silhouette that makes the katana immediately recognizable. Within the collection, some extra-long pieces approach or exceed the upper end of this range, extending toward the tachi format.