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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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Tanegashima conversion to Murata rifle single shot - 11x60mmR
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Japanese "Tanegashima" matchlock pistol.

The Tanegashima (種子島), also known as hinawajuu (火縄銃) or teppo (鉄砲), is a Japanese clone of a muzzleloading matchlock arquebus, introduced to Japan when 2 samples were purchased from Portuguese sailors on the Tanegashima 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use in the Sengoku Jidai (or Japanese Warring States) period and the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592, before being superseded in the 19th century by more advanced firearms.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

Effective Range: Usually 87 - 110 yds (80 to 100 meters) for the long guns

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
The Yellow One hung on the walls 1964
The Yakuza hanged on the wall 1975
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
The Shore of Salvation (Bereg spaseniya) Cho Jae-Yong Elder 1990
Lee Sol Hi Barame
Peasants
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
Azumi Samurai 2003
The Hidden Blade Guards 2004
Heaven's Soldiers Japanese sailors 2005
Samurai Commando: Mission 1549 ashigaru 2005
Haruka Ayase Nohime only held, not fired
Philosophy of a Knife Boy toy, archive footage 2008
John Carter Willem Dafoe Tars Tarkas mocked up as Custom Thark rifle 2012
Thomas Haden Church Tal Hajus
Samantha Morton Sola
Taylor Kitsch John Carter
Polly Walker Sarkoja
Tharks
Shinobido Samurai 2012
Unforgiven Men who are engaged 2013
The Admiral: Roaring Currents Japanese soldiers This is the only firearm in the series, so this page is 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 is ineligible 2004-2005
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries Seen in museum; "Word of God" (S04E04) 2005
Heroes - Season 2 Darryl Chan Whitebeard's men "The Line" (S2E06) 2007
Nobunaga Concerto Shun Oguri Saburō 2014
Kaho Yuki (E07)
Kou Shibasaki Kichō
Takayuki Yamada Kinoshita Tōkichirō (E09)
Taisuke Fujigaya Maeda Toshiie
Shinnosuke Abe Sassa Narimasa
Osamu Mukai Ikeda Tsuneoki (E10)
Soldiers
Salem - Season 1 Soldier "The Vow" (S1E01) 2014
Kamen Rider Ghost "Gathered! Fifteen Eyecons!" (S1E10) 2015-2016

Video Game

Game Title Appears as Note Release Date
Yakuza 2 2006
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Joke weapon that has 1-in-3 chance of summoning a tornado when fired. 2008
Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan! Unusable by the player, except as a bludgeon in certain circumstances 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
Yakuza Kiwami 2 "Komaki Matchlock Gun" Adapted to fire three rounds without reloading like the pepperbox model below, but only modeled with a single barrel and flash pan. 2018

Anime

Show Title Character Notation Date
The Dagger of Kamui Imperisal Japanese Army, Ashigaru 1985
Lupin III: The Fuma Conspiracy Daisuke Jigen, Lupin III, Fujiko Mine muskets, gold-plated furniture 1987
Those Who Hunt Elves - Season 1 Teacher "The Search for the 1000th Fighter" (S1E04) 1996
InuYasha Foot soldiers, Ashigaru numerous episodes 2000–2004
Gun Frontier Samurai also known as a "Hinawajyu" 2002
Samurai Champloo Soldiers 2004-2005
Magical Witch Punie-chan Punie Tanaka's troops "What does my involvement mean if it be only tepid?" (E4.A) 2006-2008
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
Demon King Daimao Ninja 2010
Tekken: Blood Vengeance 2011
Beyond the Boundary 2013
Witch Craft Works Ayaka Kagari "Takamiya-kun and the Witches’ Agenda" (ep.02) 2014
Nobunagun Soldiers flashback in episode 1 2014
Aria the Scarlet Ammo AA 2015
Mobile Suit Gundam: IRON-BLOODED ORPHANS Tanegashima Pistol 2015
Drifters Japanese warlords, Oda Nobunaga, Toyohisa Shimazu 2015
Case Closed - Season 27 Oda Nobunaga statue "The Nobunaga 450 Case" 2017–2018
Jujutsu Kaisen 0 2021


Tanegashima Pepperbox

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Original Japanese matchlock three barreled pepperbox.
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Original Japanese matchlock three barreled pepperbox.

The Tanegashima Pepperbox is a very rare type of the medieval Japanese firearm. While hundreds of thousands of standard Tanegashima were produced, only a few dozen examples of the pepperbox are known. The standard type of Tanegashima pepperbox mates the matchlock gun with three manually revolving barrels with a single lock and hammer.

Specifications

(16th Century - 19th Century Japan)

Type: Muzzleloading black powder revolving barrels pepperbox

Caliber: Various

Capacity: 3

Fire Modes: Single Shot

The Tanegashima Pepperbox 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
Azumi Kazuki Kitamura Kanbē Inoue 2003