INTERVIEW | Empowering Sword-making in a New Generation

In this third and final installment, Japanese sword specialist Paul Martin introduces us to the Shin Gobankaji Project. The legendary sword-making traditions of Emperor Gotoba (1183-1198) inspired this modern initiative. Martin, a renowned sword specialist, and his colleagues have spearheaded efforts to revive and preserve Japan's ancient sword-making techniques. 

Through this project, twelve master swordsmiths will craft swords to be dedicated to the Oki Shrine. The practice continues a legacy that began over 800 years ago. As Martin shares, these efforts are about more than preserving Japanese swordcraft. They are also about safeguarding a vital part of Japanese culture and spirituality for future generations.

Last in a series
Read the first part: INTERVIEW | Japanese Swords Face Challenges, Says Expert
The second part: INTERVIEW | Empowering Swordsmiths of a New Generation

A Spiritual and Cultural Heritage

What is the Shin (New) Gobankaji Swordsmiths Project that you are putting so much effort into?

Gobankaji was a system in which top swordsmiths from all over Japan were invited to make swords at the Imperial Palace with Emperor Gotoba. Later, Emperor Gotoba was defeated by the Hojo clan in the Jokyu War (1221) and exiled to Oki Island in the Sea of Japan.

The emperor's involvement in sword-making is believed to have elevated the art of Japanese swordcraft. In turn, this inspired the creation of many masterpiece swords during the Kamakura period (1185-1336). 

In 2021, on the 800th anniversary of the emperor's arrival on Oki, Sadatoshi Gassan, a master swordsmith from Sakurai City, Nara Prefecture, conducted a sword-making demonstration. Gassan held the demonstration at Oki Shrine on the Oki Islands in Shimane Prefecture.

Our plan is to pass on traditional Japanese sword-making techniques and sword culture to future generations. The Shin Gobankaji Project intends to have 12 modern swordsmiths create swords and dedicate them to Oki Shrine, where the emperor's spirit is enshrined.

Is this also a personal commitment?

It feels as though Emperor Gotoba has called out to me from across time and over the sea. My aim is to sound the alarm regarding the perilous state of the Japanese sword world today. I urge the Japanese government to recognize the severity of the situation. The fact that Japanese swords are central to our spiritual and cultural heritage fuels my commitment to helping. 

How does the laminate composite structure created by the fold-forging process create a blade that is so sharp, strong, and artistic?

The square metal collar in front of the sword guard is called a habaki. The oval washer-type metal fittings that sandwich the sword guard (tsuba) between the habaki and the hilt are called seppa.

Japanese swords are often described as "unbreakable," "unbending," and "extremely sharp." These outstanding qualities are created by its laminated structure, which is composed of two types of steel.

The process of making Japanese swords begins by heating the tamahagane, which is produced from iron sand, in a charcoal-fired forge. It is heated until it turns orange, indicating that it is just below the melting point of steel. Next, the block is hammered until it stretches to twice its original length. Then, an incision is made, and it is folded back on itself. This forge-folding process is further repeated several times.

During this process, impurities contained in the tamahagane are expelled in the sparks. That refines the steel. When the steel is folded 15 times, it produces about 33,000 thin layers of steel. It is this laminated structure that works to mitigate external impact.

How is the blade structure crafted? 

The steel used for the harder outer skin steel (kawagane) of the blade is hammered into a block and wrapped around a softer iron core (shingane). Following this, it is then formed into a long, thin bar. This laminated structure is then hammered into the shape of the blade. It is the combination of these micro and macro-layered structures that makes Japanese swords so unique.

In the fifth stage of production, a layer of clay is applied to the blade. It is then heated until red-hot before being cooled rapidly by quenching in a bath of lukewarm water. This process hardens the blade's cutting edge, allowing it to maintain an exceptionally sharp edge. 

Then, at the end of this stage, the sword is almost complete.

How does the blade acquire its beautiful patterns and artistry? 

The stunning patterns along the blade's cutting edge are revealed through a fine polishing process. Hamon, the patterns formed by the hardened edge, can resemble flowing waves or blooming flowers. 

Depending on the way the clay is applied to the blade, a variety of blade patterns can be formed. These include gunome (rounded shapes), choji (clove blossom shapes), and ko-midare (small irregular undulations).

Patterns in the surface steel of the blade are another characteristic of Japanese swords. They are a result of the fold-forging process and resemble various wood grain patterns. These include Itame-hada (mainly elliptical shapes), Mokume-hada (mainly roundels), Masame-hada (straight grain), and Ayasugi-hada (a pattern that resembles a row of cedar trees). 

Variations in the martensitic crystals also create features in the hamon, such as kinsuji (gold lines) and sunagashi (drifting sands).

How are these designs distinguished?

Top-quality Japanese swords showcase the traditional characteristics of their specific production regions and sword-making schools. Such schools include the Bizen, Soshu, and Yamato traditions. 

Japanese swords are rare items that combine an unusual sense of tension and elegance. While they are fundamentally weapons, in essence, they are steel works of sublime art.

How Swordmaking Works

From Cosmic Iron to Mathematical Forging

Iron is the product of a nuclear fusion reaction that occurs in the center of a massive star. When the stars reach the end of their lives and explode, iron and other types of atoms travel into space and become the material for planets. The earth's iron is a material colored by the magnificence of the cosmos.

In addition, the process of making Japanese swords overlaps somewhat with modern mathematical science. The fold-forging of tamahagane performed by the swordsmith is a complex mathematical operation named "pi conjugation." In chaos theory, the science of complex systems.

The quenching process creates sparkling fine crystalline steel particles called nioi and nie. 

Nioi are particles that are too small to be individually discerned with the naked eye and are reminiscent of a springtime haze. 

Nie are individually discernable crystalline particles of various sizes and are reminiscent of stars in the night sky. It is a recreation of the cosmic memory of the universe brought to fruition by the skillful technique of Japanese swordsmiths.

Japanese swords' beauty transcends borders and cultural differences, moving hearts and encouraging people of all races. 

About Paul Martin

Paul Martin was born in England. He learned karate from his father when he was a child and eventually won the English Karate National Championship lightweight division (U65 kg) three times. Later, he began learning Japanese while working as a security guard at the British Museum. Then, in 1993, in an unprecedented move, he obtained a position in the Japanese curatorial department. 

As a representative of the Japanese department, he had the opportunity to regularly visit Japan. With that opportunity, he also furthered his studies of Japanese swords. In 2003, with the downsizing of the British Museum's Japanese Department, he left the museum and became a freelance curator. 

Thereafter, Martin earned an MA in Asian Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2012. In the same year, he moved back to Japan and began writing English-language books on Japanese swords. Meanwhile, he advised international collectors and also acted as an intermediary for sword restorations. He is a member of the board of trustees of the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Sword Culture. Martin is one of the world's most well-known Japanese sword specialists. He is also a 5th Dan in the Japanese sword martial art of Iaido.

Appreciation

Paul Martin's passion is as an emissary to convey the artistry of Japanese swords to the world.

We would also like to express our deepest gratitude to master swordsmith Tsuguyasu Matsuda, in Chiba City, for allowing us to use his forge for the location of the photo shoot. 

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Read the article in Japanese. 

Interview by: Shohei Nagatsuji