SpearsIn addition to the bow and sword, the spear formed part of a warrior’s basic arsenal. It had a powerful symbolic significance: according to the chronicle of the Nihongi imperium, the Japanese archipelago was formed from falling drops of water when the god Izanagi drew up a spear he had thrown into the ocean. The basic type of spear, the hoko, was introduced to Japan from the continent. It was bulky and heavy. Later, during the Heian era, the main types of spears became standardised: the yari with a straight blade and the naginata, equipped with a curved point resembling a sword blade.
