Antony falls dark ninjer side.

here you can see the whole illustrations of the books.
i'd rather let everyone think by themselves.
the book zohyo monogatari (ashigaru story) is episodes of ashigaru in sengoku period.
the book was written in edo period and had many copies.
there were also many different versions since some were hand copied.
the illustrations are, as you see, not good.
some ashigaru has curved wakizashi and straight daito, some has reverse.
the reason why they were mostly straight swords was the original illustrator wasn't good artist.
that's my analysis.
ashigaru were usually dirt poor. they join the army just because they could eat white rice. they get swords by looting or picking from dead soldiers.
after katanagari, daimyo provided swords and those were mass produced cheap ones, it's hardly believe daimyo to buy chokuto(straight sword) specially for ashigaru.
none of japanese historians ever said some ashigaru used chokuto just because of the illustrations.

Antony seems to have no knowledge about Bakumatsu.
Ashigaru in 1800's with full armor and chokuto?
I asked "Are you talking about Boshin war or Seinan war?"
He wasn't able to answer.

雑兵物語一部英訳してみた。（念のため断っておくけどオイラの英語は完璧じゃないからね）
原文
弥六、にしは挟箱をゆるされ、こりをせをつた。剰、刀まで壹本はさげた。
おれらは草履の役に又せをひ物を預 つた。弥六はがいに替得をしたが、刀脇指の指様をしらないで、扨もおかしいはさみ様だ。
お歴々の侍衆は具足 の上刀脇指をさしなさるが、それは小脇指也腰当を以て刀を引付めさるゝ。
弥六やおれらは、具足を着るが大き なこんだ。腰当などはならない。此やうなすぐな刀を具足の上に指いては、二尺ばいの刀も抜ないもんだ。おれ がかつばさんだ様にさしては、五六尺の刀もぬけべいぞ。
先、具足を着ておれが見せべいぞ。
具足より先に刀脇 指をひつぱさんで、扨その後に、羽織をきる様に具足を着るもんだ。日本国が久しく治て、刀をきつ刃にひくり かへひてさす事がない当世は、鍋鉤の様な刀はおかしい、足の踵をたゝくとて、皆歴々の侍衆も中間もまつすぐ な棒の様な刀をはさげる。
その刀を、上帯に指ては中／\抜ない所で、敵を見てはぬくべいとすれど、半分ぬけ て皆抜ない所で、中どりをして手を切、又は刀をおといて足を切者も有所で、脇指を以片手切にすべい事がなく て、隙な者が多かつた。
その中に壹人、刀はぬけないと思つて馳せより、むんずとひつくみ、下になり上になり 、俵ころびをしたが、おつぷせられて、脇差を以て突べいとて、抜べい／\としたが、陣中へは目に立がよいこ んだとて、大釜の蓋ばいな大鐔に金箔をおいてうつたが、その鐔がつつぱりに成て、抜かぬるうちに、がらり首 をとられた。又壹人は、下にくみふせられたれど、是は台所人だと見へて、膾つくるべいとて、大きな小刀をさ いた所で、下からその小刀をひん抜て、下散の間よりつゝ込、はね返し、上にのりて、鷹匠の鳥のまるをくるや うにしてさし殺た。
直な刀を具足の上に指てきた男は只是壹人だ。其外馬の上で刀をぬくを見れば、皆乗た馬に 切先を切付て、手負馬が多かつた。あれを見れば、鍋鉤のごとくな刀又は小脇指は、具足上にさしてはよかるべ いと思ふ。鐔のない小脇指を指たらば、手間もいらずにつん抜べい。又大きな小刀もがいに得がある。若小脇指 なんどを落した時は、用に立べいこんだ。
弥六、具足の上帯に大きな刀脇指は必ささぬものだぞ。具足の着様を 教へるはよいが、御下知のないにむさと馬の鞍をとり、具足をぬがない筈だに、はやく着べいぞ。

Yaroku, you are carrying Kori instead of Hasamibako.
You also got a Katana.
We are Zoritori but also have stuffs to carry.
Yaroku is lucky to get changed (from Hasamibako)but he doesn't know how to put Katana, Wakizashi.
The way you put them is strange.
Samurai put on armors first then put Katana and Wakizashi, but it's Kowakizashi and they tighten them with Koshiate.
For us, wearing armors is more than we expected so there is no way that we can have Koshiate too.
If you put such a straight Katana on armor, you wouldn't be able to draw even 2 shaku long Katana.
If you copy me, you can draw 5,6 shaku long Katana.
I will show you how to put them on.
Put your Katana and Wakizashi before wearing armor, then put on your armor like wearing Haori.

As the country has been in a time of peace for a long time, we are not wearing our Katana with the blade facing down.
This is so we can draw them easily.
And it's strange to wear a rather sharply curved Katana that looks like a pot's hook.(鍋鉤)
Since the Katana is so curved, it'll hit your heel when you are walking.
Therefore even great samurai ot their retainers(Chugen) re wearing straight Katana that resemble sticks.

If you put the kind of Katana on sash, it's hard to draw.
You see enemies and try to draw Katana but Katana gets stuck at half way.
Some guys grab the blade and cut their hands, some guys drop the Katana and cut their feet.
Many guys tried to use Wakizashi with single hand, but single hand couldn't cut through armor and the blade was tipped.
One of them rushed to an enemy, grabbed him, scuffled like rolling a

Tawara(rice bag?), finally he was pressed to the ground.
He tried to draw Wakizashi to stab the enemy.
But his Katana had a big gold plated Tsuba which he thought that would be better in battle field becuse it would catch eyes.
While he was struggling to draw the big Tsuba Wakizashi, he was beheaded.

There was another guy who was pressed to the ground too, I think he was a cook.
He had a Kogatana like the one that is used when cooking Namasu.
He drew the Kogatana and stabbed beneath the armor, then he flipped (the enemy) over, got on him, stabbed like an astringer takes liver out of a bird.
He was the only one who put straight sword on armor.
Some guys drew Katana on horses, the tip of Katana accidentaly cut their horses and many horses were injured by that.
If you see those, you would think putting Katana or Kowakizashi like hook on armor is easier to draw.
Or no-Tsuba Kowakizashi is fuss-free drawing.
Or it's useful to have bigger Kogatana especialaly if you lost Kowakizashi.

Yaroku, never put big Katana or Wakizashi on sash of the armor.
I showed you how to puton armor but don't take off horse saddle or your armor without an order.
You'd better hurry up to wear it.

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