Hiraikotsu is Sango's gigantic boomerang and her primary weapon. Like the rest of the arms and armor of the people in her village, it was made from parts of vanquished demons. In Hiraikotsu's case, it was made from demon bone. Because of its supernatural material, it's nearly unbreakable and is a very powerful weapon.
Hiraikotsu's name can be broken down into three components; Hi meaning 'flying', rai meaning 'come', and kotsu meaning 'bone'. The name itself has been interpreted many different way, but my personal favorite as well as the one sounding the best is 'The bone that flies back'
Sango uses Hiraikotsu in many different ways. The leather bands towards either end allow her to grasp and handle easily. At six feet in length and what must be a hundred pounds or so, she handles Hiraikotsu very nimbly. Other than using it as a boomerang, she can swing it and wield it as a melee weapon. In fact she's killed countless demons like that as well as hitting Miroku over the head when he's needed it. Hiraikotsu is also big enough for Sango to use it as a shield when the need arises, and the nature of its materials make excellent for that purpose.
