A History of Japanese Swords as Diplomatic Gifts — Customs of Sword Diplomacy Presented by Shoguns and Daimyo and Their Transmission to the Present Day

Japanese Swords as "Language of Diplomacy"

Japanese swords served as weapons, artworks, and religious offerings, but they had another important role: that of "diplomatic tools." From the medieval to early modern periods, Japan's rulers—the Muromachi shoguns, Sengoku daimyo, and Edo shogunate—actively used swords as diplomatic gifts. This practice was not mere ceremony but a sophisticated diplomatic act that conveyed political intentions.

Behind the idea of using swords in diplomacy lay the symbolism that swords possessed. Japanese swords, forged thousands of times, embodied the maker's technical skill and the patron's authority.

• For the recipient, it served as proof of status that they had built a relationship with a ruler powerful enough to present such a valuable gift.
• For the giver, it was a self-presentation as a ruler with superior craftsmanship and financial resources.

Sword Diplomacy with the Joseon Dynasty and Ming by the Muromachi Shogunate

During the Muromachi period, Japanese swords gained high evaluation as trading goods in East Asia. In particular, swords were exchanged parallel to negotiations with the Joseon Dynasty regarding the resolution of the wokou (Japanese pirate) problem. In the Korean records, the "Joseon Wangjo Sillok" (Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty), many accounts remain of Japanese envoys bringing swords.

When Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (1369–1394) initiated kangō (licensed) trade with the Ming Dynasty, swords were one of the major items exported from Japan to Ming. Japanese swords, called "wakatana," were highly valued in Ming for their cutting ability and were particularly in demand as coastal defense weapons. Swords sent as official gifts were not mass-produced, ordinary blades but carefully selected works of renowned sword makers.

When the shogunate procured swords to present to Joseon and Ming, it often took the form of special commissions to renowned sword makers of the time—such as those of the Bizen Osafune school and the Yamato Tegaki school. Diplomatic swords were finished more carefully than ordinary commissioned blades, and their mountings were selected for their magnificence. Therefore, "orders for diplomatic swords" were for sword makers both prestigious and highly profitable work.

Sword Exchanges with the Ryukyu Kingdom

The Ryukyu Kingdom (present-day Okinawa) flourished as a relay point in Japan-Ming trade and was a crucial hub in the trading network connecting Japan, China, and Southeast Asia. From the Muromachi through the Sengoku period, swords were repeatedly exchanged between the Ryukyuan kings and Japanese powers (initially the shugo daimyo, later the Shimazu clan).

Even after the Shimazu clan invaded Ryukyu in 1609, the Satsuma domain formally maintained the Ryukyuan kingdom and utilized clandestine trade routes with China through Ryukyu. In the records of the Shimazu clan, it is documented that swords made by Satsuma sword makers were included among the gifts presented to the Ryukyuan kings. It is said that Satsuma sword makers—artisans of the Namihira lineage—specially forged swords for the Ryukyuan royal house.

While Okinawa did not develop a distinctive sword culture called "Ryukyuan swords," it is certain that Japanese swords served as a medium of diplomacy linking Ryukyuan and mainland relations.

Dutch East India Company and Japanese Swords—Gift-Giving Practices at Dejima, Nagasaki

Even under the isolation policy of the Edo period, trade with the Dutch continued through Dejima in Nagasaki. The director (Kapitan) of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) made regular visits to Edo (audiences with the shogun), presenting rare and imported goods as "Dutch tribute" to the shogunate.

Interestingly, in return for these audiences with the shogun, the shogunate sometimes presented Japanese swords to the Dutch. The shogunate's diplomatic documents record instances of swords, wakizashi, and tanto being given as gifts in return to the Kapitan. The Dutch trading post's reports to Batavia (present-day Jakarta) also contain references to receiving Japanese swords, and there are examples of Japanese swords reaching Europe through the VOC.

Apart from these official diplomatic gifts, Japanese swords also flowed overseas at the private level through merchants in Nagasaki. While the Edo shogunate imposed certain restrictions on sword exports, swords recognized as diplomatic gifts received exceptional treatment.

Sword Diplomacy in the Modern and Contemporary Era—Evolution of Gift-Giving Practices

After the Meiji Restoration, while diplomatic forms shifted to Western style, the practice of presenting Japanese swords as national gifts did not entirely disappear. The Meiji Emperor selected swords for gifts to certain foreign dignitaries, and there are recorded examples of swords being used in diplomacy, particularly as "imperial gifts" (okashitamaihina).

After World War II, following the era of sword confiscation and prohibition of possession by the GHQ, the diplomatic standing of swords underwent significant change. However, since the period of high economic growth, instances of Japan's national leaders and the imperial household presenting swords and sword fittings with cultural asset value to foreign heads of state have continued.

In contemporary times, diplomatic gifts of swords increasingly carry the meaning of "sharing cultural value." A cycle has emerged in which foreign heads of state who receive Japanese swords donate and display them in their national museums, thereby contributing to the international promotion of Japanese culture.

Major Examples of Sword Diplomacy (by Period)

Implications for the Sword Industry—Special Commission Culture for Diplomatic Swords

Historically, diplomatic swords held the status of "special commissions" distinct from ordinary market swords. When the shogun's household or daimyo commissioned specific sword makers to forge diplomatic swords, it elevated those makers' prestige, and the swords they forged were sometimes recorded in historical documents.

In the contemporary sword industry, there are examples of public institutions, corporations, and individuals commissioning contemporary sword makers to create swords specifically as gifts for foreigners. This demand for diplomatic and cultural gifts is forming a new market for swords as a "medium of cultural diplomacy" rather than as a "consumer good." There is potential for the sword industry to develop new customer bases and sales channels by collaborating with international cultural exchange initiatives.