The Reality of GHQ Prohibition

The postwar GHQ prohibition on Japanese sword production is frequently misunderstood as an immediate complete ban. In practice, GHQ directives from 1945-1947 targeted weapon possession and use; manufacturing for artistic and craft purposes fell into a gray zone with inconsistent enforcement by regional Civil Affairs Teams. Some areas effectively tolerated sword forging; others did not. The overall climate suppressed active production, and most smiths changed occupations for survival.

The Underground Smiths

Some smiths continued forging unofficially to prevent technical extinction. Methods included: converting to agricultural and kitchen blade production (maintaining core forging skills through acceptable civilian production); preserving essential tools, polishing stones, and clay formulas (protecting the physical infrastructure of revival); and informal transmission of technique to apprentices (creating the human lineage that would rebuild the craft after legalization).

1953: Legalization and Restart

The 1953 Firearms and Swords Control Law's passage allowed official resumption. The immediate technical challenge was tamahagane supply — smelting had been disrupted, forcing initial use of substitute steels while revival awaited. NBTHK played crucial institutional support roles: sponsoring annual modern sword exhibitions (stimulating quality competition since 1957), leading the tatara revival project that achieved stable tamahagane supply by the late 1960s-70s, and establishing qualification and certification systems for smiths, polishers, fittings makers, scabbard makers, and handle wrappers.

The Chain of Technique

The Living National Treasures of the Showa era — Miyairi, Gassan, Sumitani, Takahashi — were the bridge transmitting traditional technique from the prewar world through occupation hardship into contemporary nihonto culture. Their students are today's master smiths. Japan's sword tradition survived because individuals refused to let it die.