Anti-Armor Weapons

In both medieval Europe and Japan there were periods of intense competition
between weapon makers and armor builders to keep up with each others 
advances in technology, an "arms race" as it were.

In Europe, the development of plate armor for foot soldiers and cavalry
ultimately resulted in the eclipse of the sword as the primary 
close combat weapon; it was replaced by the mace, the battle ax with
spiked poll, and the war hammer. Was there any Japanese equivalent
to these weapons, or something else with an armor-piercing point that
could be driven against armor with maximum kinetic energy?

                                 Thank you,
                               Peter Wezeman
                              anti-social Darwinist