This has really piqued my curiosity (imagine that!) and beyond the detail that Fernando gratefully included from the news detail, I can find nothing further on this particular type of sword in Japan.
There appears to be a ceremonial sword known as 'ODACHI' which seems to be a larger ++++ version of the tachi type among the scope of Japanese swords.
One of these I found online was the 'Norimitsu' odachi.....and seems to be more a testament to the sword makers craftmanship than any actual intent for use.
This was an astounding 3.77 meters long (13ft.!!) and the blade is of course just over half that length. This thing weighs in at 15 lbs!
It seems of course that this sword found in the tomb, said to be a 'dako' is one of some 80 other examples known, and it would seem was entirely votive
in this case. It is said this is the largest of this type known, so I am wondering if the other examples were funerary as well. The large mirror was apparently also added to protect the interred from evil.
The size of the sword was said to increase its ability to fight evil forces.
The case for the serpentine blade seems to have been employed in other 'dramatic' blades which seem to have symbolic value in a number of sword blades in both Japan and China in these ancient times.
Hoping that someone out there might have informed insights into these unusually large swords in Japan and China. I recall years ago that Scott Rodell had a huge Chinese sword which was 6-7 ft. long, but have to go through old "Seven Stars" catalogs to check.
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