The traditional dance performance of Iwami Kagura tells the story of the discovery of steelmaking in Izumo, Japan, through the metaphor of the deity...
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...
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...
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 sword presented by Russian President Putin to Prime Minister Abe was displayed at the Dai Token Ichi on November 2017. During a summit meeting...
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...
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...
A visitor watches the Japanese sword at the Osaka Museum of History. The museum is holding a special exhibition titled “Sumo and Japanese Swords” in the...
Before the implementation of the Gregorian calendar the Japanese used the lunisolar calendar. It wasn’t until the January 1, 1873 (Meiji 6), that Japan adopted the...
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...
The Seikado Bunko Art Museum is holding a special exhibition aimed at introducing Japanese swords to beginners by utilizing 30 wonderful blades from their collection of...
Pictured: This blade is an utsushi-mono by the master swordsmith Ono Yoshimitsu of an 800-year-old blade called Yamatorige. It is an illustration of the continuity of...