Successor Training in the Japanese Sword Industry: Apprenticeships, Vocational Schools, and Subsidies
* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Table of Contents
Shortage of Successors Shaking the Industry
The tradition of Japanese swords is protected by numerous specialist craftspeople including sword smiths, polishers, scabbard makers, metal workers, and handle wrappers, but all these trades face serious shortages of successors. According to a survey by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the number of active sword smiths nationwide is under approximately 300, with more than 40% of them being 60 years old or older. For polishers and scabbard makers, the number of craftspeople is even smaller, making the severance of traditional techniques a realistic risk.
There are multiple reasons why successors are slow to emerge. First, there is an income problem. After becoming an apprentice, it is customary to work unpaid or below minimum wage for 3 to 5 years, making it difficult for modern youth to overcome this period economically. Second, there is the non-disclosure of information. The main ways to find a master are through inquiries to industry organizations or word-of-mouth, and systematic job recruitment information has not been established. Finally, there is a lack of understanding about the breadth of the field. Craftspeople involved in Japanese swords are not limited to sword smiths, but span many fields such as polishers, scabbard makers, and metal workers, but since these occupations are not widely recognized, there are few interested parties.
Of particular concern is the time constraint that technology transfer requires a certain number of years, and successors must be secured before master craftspeople in leadership positions retire. The technique of sword production often includes "tricks of the trade" that do not lend themselves to documentation or manuals, and much of it can only be transmitted through repeated face-to-face instruction from master to apprentice. This characteristic creates a structural risk that the absence of successors could directly lead to a break in technical tradition.
The Reality and Changes in the Apprenticeship System
Traditional apprenticeship involves living in a master's workshop and acquiring skills over 3 to 10 years. Many sword smiths still use this method today, but changes adapted to the times are also seen, such as a shift from live-in apprenticeship to commuting apprentices and the supplementation of technical information through smartphones.
The practical steps toward becoming an apprentice are as follows. First, inquire with the All Japan Sword Smiths Association or the cultural property protection department of the education board to gather information about masters who are accepting apprentices. Next, visit the workshops of multiple masters and choose a master whose technical style matches what you want to learn. The general path is to proceed through interviews and submission of sample works to reach a contract (or verbal agreement).
As for living expenses during the apprenticeship period, there are cases where the master provides housing and meals, and cases where the apprentice supports themselves while training. In recent years, there has been an increase in the use of subsidy systems to ensure the livelihood of apprentices.
Things to Confirm During a Workshop Tour
A workshop tour before deciding on an apprenticeship place is an important opportunity to prevent mismatches between both parties. Confirming the following points beforehand can reduce differences in understanding after entering the apprenticeship.
- Can you understand the actual work content and daily flow through tours or hands-on experience?
- Whether living expenses and housing are borne by the master or the apprentice, or split equally
- How the master views the timing of independence and support in technical and sales aspects after independence
- Can you hear from current apprentices or those who became independent in the past about the actual training environment?
Prefectural Vocational Training Schools' Sword Forging and Sword Fitting Courses
As another learning path besides apprenticeship, there are training courses offered by prefectural vocational ability development schools. In regions near sword-making centers such as Okayama, Tottori, and Nara prefectures, programs have been established to learn the basics of sword fittings and forging as an extension of metal working techniques.
These courses are shorter in duration than apprenticeships (approximately 6 months to 2 years), and in some cases can be combined with employment insurance or education and training allowances. However, since further training is necessary to reach the technical level required for sword smith certification (notification to the Agency for Cultural Affairs), it is appropriate to position vocational training schools as entry-level technical acquisition.
Since apprenticeships and vocational training schools differ in duration and how living expenses are borne, it is realistic to choose based on one's situation or to use them in combination. The differences between the two can be summarized as follows.
| Comparison item | Apprenticeship | Vocational Training School |
|---|---|---|
| Duration guideline | 3-10 years | Approximately 6 months to 2 years |
| Living expense burden | Cases where the master provides housing and meals, and cases where the apprentice supports themselves | Cases where employment insurance or education and training allowances can be combined |
| Position after completion | Often leads directly to independence or workshop employment | Entry-level technical acquisition; further training is required afterward |
Subsidy Programs from the Agency for Cultural Affairs and METI
The following programs are used as public subsidies to support successor development.
Traditional Crafts Industry Support Subsidy (METI): Japanese swords are designated items as "traditional crafts" and are eligible for subsidies that cover part of business expenses related to craftsperson training and technical succession. Applications are typically made through the Traditional Crafts Association of each prefecture.
Subsidies Based on Cultural Property Preservation and Utilization Regional Plans (Agency for Cultural Affairs): There is a scheme to receive national funding subsidies by incorporating succession projects for intangible cultural properties (sword smith techniques) into cultural property preservation and utilization regional plans formulated by municipalities.
Manufacturing Subsidy (Small and Medium Enterprise Agency): When a sword workshop is incorporated, costs related to equipment investment and new employee recruitment and training can be eligible for subsidies.
The difficulty in applying for subsidies lies in the "burden of preparing plans." Many small workshops lack resources for document preparation and many have been unable to take advantage of subsidies. There is a need to expand systems in which industry organizations dispatch coordinators to support document preparation.
Information to Organize When Considering an Application
Requirements and procedures vary by program, so consultation with individual offices is a prerequisite, but organizing the following information beforehand can smooth the consultation.
- Clarify whether the purpose of the business is human resource development/technical succession or equipment investment
- Confirm the scope of expenses eligible for subsidy and the portion requiring self-funding
- Ascertain application windows (Traditional Crafts Association of the prefecture, cultural property department of municipalities, chambers of commerce, etc.) beforehand
- Consult with industry organizations or government offices beforehand about past adoption examples and necessary documents
The Structure of Traditional Craftsperson Certification
To receive certification as a "traditional craftsperson" for craftspeople involved in traditional crafts designated by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, 12 years or more of practical experience and passing a practical skills test are required. For Japanese swords, certification is conducted in various fields including nihonto (sword smith), polishing, and fittings (scabbard, metalwork, and handle wrapping).
The title of traditional craftsperson functions as a proof of credibility to customers, but since acquiring it requires years of experience, there are limits to early certification for young craftspeople. To address this, there is growing demand within the industry for the creation of intermediate certification systems such as "certified craftsperson (provisional name)" targeting young craftspeople. For young craftspeople aiming for certification, how to overcome the long period until certification in terms of income becomes an important issue similar to challenges during the apprenticeship period.
Toward the Future of Craftspeople Culture
To solve the problem of developing successors, it is essential not only to establish subsidies and systems, but also for society to properly evaluate craftspeople's work and create an economically viable environment. There are definitely tailwinds such as an increase in domestic and international sword enthusiasts, expansion of inbound demand, and the appeal to young people through sword games. How to translate this demand into improved craftspeople income and successor development is the critical question that will determine the fate of the sword industry over the next 10 years.
