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...
Japonisme became popular among Western artists during the latter half of the 19th century. It was a huge movement in many areas of art, including...
Ukiyo-e painter Hokusai from the late Edo period is considered in Europe to be so exceptional that artists will immediately think of ukiyo-e whenever his...
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...
(Part 1 of a Series on the Art of Kuniyoshi) Toshihiko Isao, 82, is a painter and ukiyo-e scholar. Isao’s studio is chock full...