While the katana represents the soul of a samurai, the wakizashi represents his honor. Every member of the samurai caste, even the most pious shugenja or delicate artisan, possesses a wakizashi that signifies bis or her station. Wakizashi are not always carried by such individuals, but they are never far away, and are always taken with them even when traveling. Because of its status as a symbol of the bearer's honor, it is the wakizashi with which the ritual of seppuku is performed.
A heavy, curved blade that originated far beyond the boundaries of the Emerald Empire, the scimitar was brought back to Rokugan by the Unicorn Clan after their eight centuries of wandering the world at large. It is rarely made of folded steel, and as such has limited durability compared to the katana, and only sees use among Unicorn samurai, primarily the Moto family.
The parangu is basically a machete, a thin metal blade made of unfolded steel and used in a harsh chopping motion to clear underbrush and other vegetation out of the path for farming or making one's way through the wilderness. The parangu is popular aboard Mantis ships for cutting ropes or cloth without having to worry about protecting one's katana. Parangu are typically made of scrap metal and have a high chance of breaking in combat with a true blade.
As reviled as the katana is revered, the ninja-to is the favored weapon of the ninja. Ninja often put their blades to esoteric uses such as climbing in addition to combar. Unlike other swords, ninja-to are crudely made, unattractive, and easily broken. A ninja who loses his weapon can easily replace it witl10ut significant expense.
The katana is the quintessential weapon of the samurai caste. It represents the soul of the samurai who carries it, and while typically only bushi or those trained in the blade's use carry them with them at all times, all samurai typically have one that they own, even if it remains in their home. Courtiers and shugenja do not usually carry a katana with them because doing so implies they are trained in its use, which would in turn place an expectation upon them to defend themselves. A katana is typically kept within a family and handed down from generation to generation.
The tonfa has its origin as the handle of a millstone. It consists of a wooden shaft roughly the length of a man's forearm, with a handle on the side that allows it to be held along the forearm. Held in this manner it is an effective defensive tool, but can also be spun as an offensive weapon.
Crescent Blade Et Shield: The sang kauw is a peculiar weapon only seen in the hands of those who choose to study exotic fighting styles. It is a three to four foot wooden shaft with a metal spike on each end. The crescent blade sang kauw has a crescent-shaped blade in the center that can be used to fend off attackers, while the shield sang kauw has a metal shield for increased protection.
This extremely unconventional weapon is, more or less, a metal smoking pipe. It is an effective weapon because of its size and shape, which is a hollow metal tube roughly three feet in length. In addition to its use as a smoking implement, it can also be used to stun an opponent via a sharp blow to the head. The machi-kanshisha pipe is seen almost exclusively in the hands of the Kaeru fa mily that governs the City of the Rich Frog.
The jo is essentially half of a bo, and is a short staff roughly 3 feet in length. They are often used in pairs to deliver a rapid series of concussive strikes.
The blowgun is a popular weapon among ninja because it is inexpensive, simple to use, and can be used outside of combat as a breathing implement while submerged (which comes up more often than one might imagine for ninja). Small dans are placed within the tube and then propelled at the target by blowing through it forcefully. Although the darts inflict virtually no damage, they are usually poisoned, which is the real benefit to using this weapon in the first place. Blowguns have an effective range of fifty feet.