The traditional dance performance of Iwami Kagura tells the story of the discovery of steelmaking in Izumo, Japan, through the metaphor of the deity Susano-o quelling the eight-headed, eight-tailed serpent dragon Yamata no Orochi. I was treated to a beguiling performance of this story when I visited the spiritual and mythical origins of […]
The raw material used to make Japanese swords is called tamahagane. On January 24, production of the annual batch of tamahagane for Japan’s swordsmiths began at the Nittoho tatara in Oku-izumo, Shimane prefecture. The tatara is jointly run by the Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords (Nittoho), in conjuction with the […]
An important twelfth-century Japanese sword, discovered hidden in the ceiling during a 1939 refurbishment of the treasure house at Kasuga Taisha shrine in Nara, will now be put on display. The sword appears to be in very good condition, showing little evidence of use and remains close to its original state. After repolishing and […]
I recently took a trip to Shimane Prefecture, also known as the San’in region, to research some of the mythical origins of the sword and the indigenous iron and steel making culture of the area. My journey began at one of Japan’s oldest shrines, Izumo Taisha. The Izumo region is steeped in Japanese […]
The sword presented by Russian President Putin to Prime Minister Abe was displayed at the Dai Token Ichi on November 2017. During a summit meeting in Vladivostok, Russia, in September 2016, Russian President Vladamir Putin presented Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with a Japanese sword. Abe also presented Putin with an antique samurai helmet. […]
Matching pair of sword guards Design by Kongosai (Matsuo) Gassan (1815-1875). 19th C. Nezu Museum, formerly Mitsumura Collection. From November 3rd until December 10th, 2017, Nezu Museum is holding an exhibition of some of the most exquisite swords and sword fittings in Japan. It features the collection of Toshimo Mitsumura, a Meiji period businessman and […]
The Japanese are acutely aware of transient nature of all things. The degree to which they actively acknowledge impermanence has turned it into an aesthetic of its own that is also related to the Japanese appreciation of nature and the celebrations thereof. In my first article in this series, I wrote about my […]
Photo: The Ama-no-Saka-hoko standing at the peak of Mount Takachiho in Miyazaki prefecture, Kyushu These are an excerpts from the forthcoming book National Treasure Swords of Japan by Paul Martin. The sword and the mythical origins of Japan are inextricably connected; one cannot tell the story of one without mentioning the other. To try to […]
