The difference between Tachi and Katana comes from the way it was worn, not the length So if you see a tachi and a katana the tachi is probably the longer one of the two. There are many similarities in these two long swords that were used in feudal Japan by fighters to defend themselves and also to defeat the enemies. The tachi style of swords preceded the development of the katana, which was not mentioned by name until near the end of the twelfth century; tachi are known to have been made in the Kotō period, ranging from 900 to 1596. Tachi > Katana > Wakizashi > Tanto . The images of these two swords confuse people … Tachi and Katana are names of two of the most popular Japanese swords. A tachi (太刀) was a type of traditionally made Japanese sword (nihonto) worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan. Here is the order of the length. A longer one is called Katana and the shorter one is called Wakizashi. The katana and tachi are two of the most recognizable Japanese swords. Both originating many centuries ago during the country's feudal period, they were used extensively by samurai warriors. Both the katana and tachi share some striking similarities, including a single edge with a curved blade and tsuba … In general, Tachi is longer and Katana is shorter, Wakizashi is even shorter but longer than Tanto. The katana has a length of around 100-110 cm, whereas the tachi is 120-130 cm long. Keep in mind this is very dependend on the century the sword was crafted. Tachi and katana generally differ in length, degree of curvature, and how they were worn when sheathed, the latter depending on the location of the mei, or signature, on the tang. Both swords can be used with two hands.