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Tanegashima

From Internet Movie Firearms Database - Guns in Movies, TV and Video Games
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Japanese "Tanegashima" matchlock arquebus.
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Short-barrelled "Tanegashima" matchlock arquebus at the Ako Temple museum
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Japanese "Tanegashima" matchlock pistol.

The Tanegashima (種子島; also known as hinawajuu or teppo) is a Japanese clone of a muzzleloading matchlock arquebus, introduced to Japan when 2 samples were purchased from Portuguese sailors on the eponymous Japanese island in 1543. Realizing the potential of the Portuguese weapon (it could be given to unskilled conscripts who could be trained to use it effectively in a matter of weeks, unlike the traditional Japanese bow or Yumi which took years to master), the Japanese copied it and swiftly began producing and deploying it en masse.

The Tanegashima was enthusiastically adopted by many Japanese warring factions of the period, and saw major use in the Sengoku Jidai (or Japanese Warring States) period and the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592, before being superseded in the 19th century by more advanced firearms. As the Japanese did not export the weapon, it is most likely to appear in Japanese-produced media, or media that deals with historical Japan.

Like most antique firearms, any Tanegashima that is fired in a live-action work is almost certainly a prop or modern reproduction, due to the needless expense of procuring the genuine historical articles (most of which are now rare and expensive museum pieces) for such scenes.

Please check the talk page for additional variants not shown on the main page.

Specifications

(16th Century - 19th Century Japan)

Type: Muzzleloading black powder arquebus

Caliber: Various

Capacity: 1

Fire Modes: Single Shot

The Tanegashima and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:

Film

Title Actor Character Note Date
Seven Samurai bandits 1954
Toshirô Mifune Kikuchiyo
Shinpei Takagi bandit chief
Seiji Miyaguchi Kyuzo
Isao Kimura Katsushirō
Takashi Shimura Kambei Shimada
Toshio Takahara Bandit with Gun
Harakiri Tôru Takeuchi Retainer 1962
Hisashi Igawa Retainer
Shichisaburô Amatsu Retainer
G.I. Samurai ashigaru 1979
Kagemusha A few thousand characters 1980
Tatsuya Nakadai Kagemusha
Shogun Assassin samurai 1980
Ran Various soldiers of Taro, Jiro, Saburo's army 1985
Hisashi Igawa Shuri Kurogane
Heaven and Earth soldiers 1990
Takaaki Enoki Kagetora
Journey of Honor japanese soldiers 1991
Toshirô Mifune Lord Ieyasu
Sho Kosugi Daigoro Mayeda
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III John Aylward Niles 1993
Elias Koteas Casey Jones / Whit
Samurai Commando: Mission 1549 ashigaru 2005
Haruka Ayase Nohime only holds, not fires
Unforgiven Men who are engaged 2013
The Admiral: Roaring Currents Japanese soldiers This is the only firearm in the series, so this page are ineligible 2014

Television

Show Title Actor Character Note / Episode Air Date
Immortal Admiral Yi Sun-sin Japanese soldiers This is the only firearm in the series, so this page are ineligible 2004-2005
Heroes - Season 2 Darryl Chan Whitebeard's men "The Line" (S2E06) 2007
Kamen Rider Ghost "Gathered! Fifteen Eyecons!" (S1E10) 2015-2016

Video Game

Game Title Appears as Note Release Date
Yakuza Kenzan Unusable by the player, except as a bludgeon in certain circumstances 2008
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Joke weapon that has 1-in-3 chance of summoning a tornado when fired. 2008
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker Joke weapon that has 1-in-3 chance of summoning a tornado when hitting an enemy. 2010
Total War: Shogun 2 Used by various infantry units. 2011

Anime

Show Title Character Notation Date
New Dream Hunter Rem: Massacre in the Phantasmic Labyrinth is seen in the Geppetto base 1992
InuYasha Gun battalion season 4 (2002-2003) ep. 103 2000–2004
Gun Frontier Samurai also known as a "Hinawajyu" 2002
Samurai Champloo Soldiers 2004-2005
Afro Samurai Mercenary first episode 2007
The Ambition of Oda Nobuna Soldiers This is the only firearm in the series, so this page are ineligible 2002
Nobunagun Soldiers flashback in episode 1 2014
Aria the Scarlet Ammo AA 2015
Mobile Suit Gundam: IRON-BLOODED ORPHANS Tanegashima Pistol 2015