Katana

Historically, katana (刀) were one of the traditionally made Japanese swords (日本刀, nihontō) that were used by the samurai of feudal Japan. Modern versions of the katana are sometimes made using non-traditional materials and methods. The katana is characterized by its distinctive appearance: a curved, slender, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands.

History

The production of swords in Japan is divided into specific time periods:

Jōkotō (ancient swords, until around 900 A.D.)

Kotō (old swords from around 900–1596)

Shintō (new swords 1596–1780)

Shinshintō (newer swords 1781–1876)

Gendaitō (modern swords 1876–1945)

Shinsakutō (newly made swords 1953–present)

The first use of "katana" (gatana) as a word to describe a long sword that was different from a tachi occurs as early as the Kamakura Period (1185–1333). These references to "uchigatana" and "tsubagatana" seem to indicate a different style of sword, possibly a less costly sword for lower-ranking warriors. The evolution of the tachi into the katana seems to have started during the early Muromachi period (1337 to 1573). Starting around the year 1400, long swords signed with the "katana" signature were made. This was in response to samurai wearing their tachi in what is now called "katana style" (cutting edge up). Japanese swords are traditionally worn with the signature facing away from the wearer. When a tachi was worn in the style of a katana, with the cutting edge up, the tachi's signature would be facing the wrong way. The fact that swordsmiths started signing swords with a katana signature shows that some samurai of that time period had started wearing their swords in a different manner.

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Katana (disambiguation)

Katana is Japanese for backsword and often refers to uchigatana, especially in English. For a list of fictional katana, see Katanas in fiction. Katana may also refer to:

Katana (band), Swedish heavy metal band

Katana (brand), Japanese golf equipment brand

Katana (comics), a DC Comics fictional character

Katana (web series), a martial arts web series on Strike.TV

Qatana, a city in Syria

Qatanna, a town in the Palestinian Territories

Katana (photocopier), a photocopier manufactured by Ricoh

Suzuki Katana, a motorcycle manufactured by Suzuki

Sanyo Katana, a mobile phone manufactured by Sanyo

"A1 Katana", a model of the Diamond DA20 aircraft manufactured by Diamond Aircraft

a character from Coyote Ragtime Show

Katana, the development code name for the Dreamcast

the former name of the Enigma (yacht), one of the world's largest private superyachts

Katana (manga), a manga by Kimiko Kamada

General Katana, a character from the movie Highlander II: The Quickening

AR-15 Katana, a prototype lightweight assault rifle

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Dreamcast

The Dreamcast (Japanese: ドリームキャスト, Hepburn: Dorīmukyasuto) is a home video game console released by Sega on November 27, 1998 in Japan, September 9, 1999 in North America, and October 14, 1999 in Europe. It was the first in the sixth generation of video game consoles, preceding Sony's PlayStation 2, Nintendo's GameCube and Microsoft's Xbox. The Dreamcast is Sega's final home console, marking the end of the company's 18 years in the console market.

In contrast to the expensive hardware of the unsuccessful Sega Saturn, the Dreamcast was designed to reduce costs with "off-the-shelf" components, including a Hitachi SH-4 CPU and an NEC PowerVR2 GPU. Released in Japan to a subdued reception, the Dreamcast enjoyed a successful U.S. launch backed by a large marketing campaign, but interest in the system steadily declined as Sony built hype for the upcoming PlayStation 2. Sales did not meet Sega's expectations despite several price cuts, and the company continued to incur significant financial losses. After a change in leadership, Sega discontinued the Dreamcast on March 31, 2001, withdrawing from the console business and restructuring itself as a third-party publisher. 9.13 million Dreamcast units were sold worldwide.

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Sunglasses

Sunglasses or sun glasses are a form of protective eyewear designed primarily to prevent bright sunlight and high-energy visible light from damaging or discomforting the eyes. They can sometimes also function as a visual aid, as variously termed spectacles or glasses exist, featuring lenses that are colored, polarized or darkened. In the early 20th century they were also known as sun cheaters (cheaters being an American slang term for glasses).

The American Optometric Association recommends sunglasses whenever a person is in the sun. to protect the eyes from ultraviolet radiation (UV) and blue light, which can cause several serious eye problems. Its usage is mandatory immediately after some surgical procedures such as IntraLASIK and recommended for a certain time period in dusty areas, when leaving the house and in front of a TV screen or computer monitor after LASEK. Sunglasses have long been associated with celebrities and film actors primarily from a desire to mask their identity. Since the 1940s sunglasses have been popular as a fashion accessory, especially on the beach.

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Shades (Andrew Hill album)

Shades is the twenty-fourth album by American jazz pianist Andrew Hill, recorded in 1986 and released on the Italian Soul Note label in 1988. The album features six of Hill's original compositions, four performed by a quartet and two by a trio.

Reception

The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 4 stars calling it "Stimulating and unusual music that is difficult to classify as anything but "modern jazz"".