The Japanese Sword Column | JAPAN Forward

Help Bring Home the ‘Sanchomo,’ A National Treasure Sword of Japan

The town of Setouchi in Okayama Prefecture is home to the Osafune Japanese Sword Museum. Osafune, a village in the archaic province Bizen,...

Culture2 years ago

Muramasa Dagger Given By Vladimir Putin to Shinzo Abe on Public Display November 16-18

The Tokyo Art Club in Shinbashi is host every year to the world’s largest Japanese sword show called the Dai Token Ichi. ...

Culture3 years ago

Yasugi: City of Japanese Steel and Samurai

Paul Martin for JAPAN Forward The city of Yasugi has a long history with Japanese steel. Hitachi Metalworks — co-sponsors of the...

Culture3 years ago

San’in Travels: Oki-no-Shima and the Exiled Swordsmith Emperor Gotoba

Part 1: Traveling the San’in: Orochi and the Mythical Origins of the Sword Part 2: Japanese Swords: ‘Tatara,’ the Traditional Iron and Steel Culture...

Culture3 years ago

‘Touken Joshi’: Girls Are Infatuated With Japanese Swords, and It’s Good

Three years ago, Touken Ranbu, an online game with personified legendary sword characters, kindled the Japanese sword trend, but the craze is even bigger...

Culture3 years ago

Japanese Swords: ‘Tatara,’ the Traditional Iron and Steel Culture of the San’in

The traditional dance performance of Iwami Kagura tells the story of the discovery of steelmaking in Izumo, Japan, through the metaphor of the deity...

Culture3 years ago

Oku-izumo’s Annual Sword Steelmaking Begins

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...

Culture3 years ago

Traveling the San’in: Orochi and the Mythical Origins of the Sword

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...

Culture3 years ago

As Sign of Goodwill, President Putin Returns Swords to Japan

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...

Culture3 years ago

Sword Fittings of the Mitsumura Collection on Exhibit November 3 to December 17

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...

Culture4 years ago

Japanese Swords Fittings Showcase the Beauty of Impermanence

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...

Culture4 years ago

The Changes in the Shape of the Japanese Sword

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...