僕はにっかり青江。元は大太刀の大脇差さ。 うんうん、君も変な名前だと思うだろう？ ･･････でもさ、にっかりと笑った女の幽霊を斬ったのが由来、と聞いてまだ君は笑っていられるかな？
I am Nikkari Aoe. I’m an Oowakizashi that was once an Oodachi. Yes, yes, you think my name is strange as well, don’t you? But well, I wonder if you can still laugh about it when you find out that it originates from killing the ghost of a laughing woman.
僕はにっかり青江。うんうん、君も変な名前だと思うだろう？
I am Nikkari Aoe. Yes, yes, you think my name is strange as well, don’t you?
Nikkari was forged by Aoe Sadatsugu (青江貞次) in 1207 CE with a 60.3cm long blade.
He was originally around 75 cm but was shortened to around 60 cm, which makes him an Oowakizashi (大脇差 long wakizashi, since wakizashi are usually 30-50cm). On that part that was shortened was inlayed his previous owner’s name. But now what’s only left was “Hashiba Gorou Zaemon no Jounaga…” (羽柴五郎座衛門尉長) which was the previous self-chosen name of Toyotomi Hideyoshi when he was a retainer of Oda Nobunaga.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豊臣 秀吉1536 or 1537 – 1598) was a preeminent daimyo, warrior, general, samurai, and politician of the Sengoku period who is regarded as Japan’s second “great unifier”. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Warring States period.
Regarding his original size and his claim of formerly being an oodachi, apparently back when he was forged, that size was already long enough to be called oodachi (from 70 to 90.91 cm), though in present times it’s only qualified as a tachi.
The artist confirmed that the cape-like cloth hanging on his shoulder is a shiroshouzoku (白装束), white clothing often worn by Shinto priests and miko*. Additionally, it’s also a clothing people put on the dead. It can be assumed that it’s related to the story of him cutting down both the ghost child and woman.
Nikkari’s name comes from a tale in the book “Kyouhou Meibutsu Chou” (享保名物帳 - Kyoubou’s Book of Finely Crafted Swords).
It started with a rumour about a demon who inhibited Mount Hachiman, which called for the lord of the region Nakajima Shuuridayuu to act on the matter so he entered the forested mountain with the oodachi Nikkari on his belt. As night fell, a woman with a child in her arms approached Nakajima.
She put the child on the ground and invited him to pick up the child, all the while grinning. As the child crawled towards him, he thought that it was very odd to encounter a mother and child deep in the mountains during late night, so it must have been the trick of the mountain’s demon. Nakajima drew his sword and slashed the crawling child, but the woman continued her advancement with a creepy laughter, beckoning him to hug her instead. He cut her down as well, and both the woman and the child vanished. As Nakajima returned to the same spot the next morning to investigate, all that remained were two stone lanterns cut in half.**
Seeing this as a success, he decided to name the ootachi “Nikkari Aoe”, with Nikkari being a reference to the eerie/creepy grin of the ghost woman.
にっかり (nikkari) is similar to にっこり (nikkori) which means to laugh or grin hence why he says it’s a weird name in his description.
While in Awakening form he says: “I’ll cut you down like a stone lantern, shall I…!” referencing the broken lantern found after he defeated the spirits.**
After his adventure in demon slaying, Nikkari went on the the bloody battlefields of the human realm during the Sengoku Period, first accompanying Shibata Katsuie, the retainer of Oda Nobunaga. After the Shibata family was defeated and killed at the Battle of Shizugatake, he came as war spoils in the possession of Niwa Nagahide. The victorious Nagahide allowed his son Nagashige to take Nikkari with him to the Invasion of Korea, and later presented Nikkari to his lord Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
Nikkari stayed in the Toyotomi house and came to Hideyoshi’s son Hideyori, who handed Nikkari as a gift to Kyougoku Takatsugu. The Kyougoku family later moved to the Marugame Castle which was rumoured to be an ominous castle which would bring bad luck to the owners due to the vengeful spirit that resided within.
Due to Nikkari’s reputation of being a spiritual sword which could exorcize demonic presence, the Kyougoku family were confident that Nikkari would protect them from the evil spirit. Thus, Nikkari served the Kyougoku family as their guardian sword for generations to come.
He is currently located at Marugame Municipal Archives Museum, Kagawa Prefecture and is on display on November 26-27, 2016.
Referring to the Kyogoku family he has two quotes: “Certainly, it’s said that if you leave me here, vengeful spirits won’t appear.” referring to Marugame castle which was rumored to be haunted until Nikarri moved in, and “Great luck. Smile widely, and good fortune may come to your home, so the saying goes.” which is also a pun since it can also mean “With me (Nikkari), good fortune may come to your home.”
Nikkari is also very prone to make puns, as seen above, other lines are: “Attacking me while I’m in bed… don’t blame me if you get cut.” removed as of Feb. 18, 2015, refers to the saying that in the Marugame castle spirits would bother people while sleeping.
“Laugh with Nikkari.” Another pun since “nikkari” is both his name and a sound effect for a smile/laugh.
“I guess it’s shortening? He’s going to become stronger to match you.” When you send a sword to kiwame training, shortening refers to the sword crafting technique that shortens and smooths a blade to make it easier to use, also to probably joke about tantou heights for now.
During his Recollection with Ishikirimaru, Nikkari revealed that he had a wish of becoming a divine sword, but Ishikirimaru pointed out that he had lost that right when he slashed a child even if it was a spirit. In some of Nikkari’s lines, he subtly expressed guilt for the killings that he was used for even if he had no say in the matter, like his death quote “I’ve killed my fair share… so this kind of thing can happen too…”.
Many swords of the Aoe school have the divine status of being offerings to shrines and temple, Nikkari with his bloody history and ominous name was the exception. The most famous divine sword of the Aoe school is Juzumaru who is also one of the Five Great Swords.
Curiously, Nikkari chose Ishikirimaru to confide the issue of the divine swords, when another divine sword in-game is from his Aoe school as well, in the form of Taroutachi. Ironically, Taroutachi felt neglected as he was enshrined and longed for the thrills of the floating world while Nikkari longed for peace and wished for the status of a divine sword that could protect instead of kill.
He sure is a tease but also very loyal as we can see in some of his quotes:
“Ohh, so you’re interested in me?” In the Citadel.
“What are you planning to do, making me undress?” Injured in the Citadel.
“Are you telling me to be dyed in your color?” Equipping troops.
“My my, aren’t you a worrywart?” Repairing a minor injury.
“Come on, show me, there’s no need to be embarrassed.” Battle record. (cmon, you wanted to be a holy sword show some shame *coff coff*)
“Are you that eager to touch me?” Minor injury.
“Heh, did you bring me here with you on purpose?” Going to the Merchant, also a gentle reminder that in the anime he bought a laughing bag, another pun.
* In Shinto, a miko (巫女) is a shrine (jinja) maiden or a supplementary priestess. Miko were once likely seen as a shaman but are understood in modern Japanese culture to be an institutionalized role in daily shrine life, trained to perform tasks, ranging from sacred cleansing to performing the sacred Kagura dance.
The Japanese words miko and fujo (“female shaman” and “shrine maiden” respectively) are usually written 巫女 as a compound of the kanji 巫 (“shaman”), and 女 (“woman”). Miko was archaically written 神子 (literally “kami” or “god” + “child”) and 巫子 (“shaman child”). Miko once performed spirit possession and takusen (means oracle) as vocational functions in their service to shrines.
As time passed, they left the shrines and began working independently in secular society. Miko at shrines today do no more than sit at reception counters and perform kagura dance. In addition to a medium or a miko (or a Geki, which is a male shaman), the site of a takusen may occasionally also be attended by a sayaniwa (very close to saniwa which is the person who judges which god or spirit has taken possession of a miko) who interprets the words of the possessed person to make them comprehensible to other people present.
Kamigakari (divine possession, so i guess possession by good spirits?) and takusen may be passive, when a person speaks after suddenly becoming involuntarily possessed or has a dream revelation; they can also be active, when spirit possession is induced in a specific person to ascertain the divine will or gain a divine revelation.
**In Japan a tōrō (灯籠 or 灯篭, 灯楼 light basket, light tower) is a traditional lantern made of stone, wood, or metal. Like many other elements of Japanese traditional architecture, it originated in China; however, extant specimens in that country are very rare, and in Korea they are not as common as in Japan. In Japan, tōrō were originally used only in Buddhist temples, where they lined and illuminated paths. Lit lanterns were then considered an offering to Buddha. During the Heian period (794–1185), however, they started being used also in Shinto shrines and private homes.
Normally, they have a stylized lotus flower at the top and a flower in Japanese culture is a symbol for growing wealth and career progress. This model of Japanese garden lanterns is also designed with other important elements, thus symbolizes:
Purity; (so a broken lantern in the story may simbolize the purifying of the ghosts’ soul)
The birth of Nitobe Inazō (Nitobe Inazō (新渡戸 稲造1862 –1933) was a Japanese agricultural economist, author, educator, diplomat, politician, and Christian during the pre-World War II period);
The month of December; (Being the last month it simbolize closure, so another sign to a spirit passing to a higher place or reincarnation, it also contains the winter solstice, the day with the fewest daylight hours, which is usually associate with the spiritual world and is said that the spirits from the underworld will come into our world from when the sun goes down until the end of the day)
The first (midnight) double-hour of the day. (Again midnight both simbolize the end and a new beginning.)
Wakizashi - 🌸🌸 Medium Rarity - #19
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