NHK Taiga Drama and Nihonto Historical Accuracy: How Historical Dramas Have Shaped Sword Culture

The Taiga Drama and the Special Relationship with Japanese Swords

NHK's annual Taiga Drama broadcasts have the largest production budget and viewership among Japan's historical dramas. In Taiga Dramas depicting historical warlords, swordsmen, and samurai society, the Japanese sword is an essential prop, and sometimes becomes a central symbol of the story.

The influence of Taiga Drama extends to sword culture. Each broadcast year, inquiries about swords associated with particular warlords increase, and visitors to sword museums and temples and shrines related to famous swords increase — phenomena observed every year. In "Kirin ga Kuru" (broadcast 2020, starring Akechi Mitsuhide), interest in famous swords associated with Nobunaga and Mitsuhide increased, and in "Doushuru Ieyasu" (broadcast 2023), the spotlight fell on swords associated with Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Recent Taiga Dramas and Sword Historical Accuracy

In recent Taiga Dramas, more cases have experts in historical accuracy participate in production supervision, and the precision of sword depictions has improved. In older historical dramas, modern replica swords or Showa-era iaido swords were often used, but in recent years, attention has been paid to sword fittings appropriate to the era (koshirae form, saya lacquer, tsuba shape, etc.).

For example, in works set during the Sengoku period, the way of wearing the "koshinokatana" and "uchigatana" that were mainstream at the time are depicted, and in works set in the early Edo period, the samurai etiquette of "daishō" (wearing two swords) is recreated. These accumulations of detail have elevated viewers' understanding of how swords differed across eras.

"Kirin ga Kuru" and the Swords of Nobunaga and Mitsuhide

"Kirin ga Kuru" is a 2020 Taiga Drama starring Akechi Mitsuhide as the protagonist. With Oda Nobunaga and Akechi Mitsuhide — figures representing the Sengoku period — as key characters, it was a work with a strong connection to sword culture.

During the broadcast period, reports came from museums and archives across the country that inquiries about and visits to "Heshikiri Hasebe" (National Treasure, held at the Fukuoka City Museum), known as a sword associated with Nobunaga, and swords believed to be associated with Mitsuhide, had increased. This is a typical example showing the cultural influence that Taiga Drama possesses, as fiction creates the motivation to see the real thing.

"Kamakura-dono no 13-nin" and Samurai Sword Culture

"Kamakura-dono no 13-nin," broadcast in 2022, is a work set during the Minamoto-Taira War and the early Kamakura shogunate, depicting an era that historically corresponds to the early koto period. The predominant Japanese sword of this era was the tachi, a long sword worn and used from horseback. The drama recreated the way tachi were worn (the "haitachi" style, worn with the edge facing downward) and the military equipment of the time (armor and bow and arrow combinations), providing viewers an opportunity to understand that "Japanese swords differed completely in form and usage across different eras, even though they are the same type of blade."

The Role of Taiga Drama in Promoting Japanese Swords

The ways Taiga Drama contributes to the promotion of Japanese sword culture can be summarized in three points.

• First, it visually conveys the connection between historical periods and swords. By linking concrete people and stories rather than textbook explanations, viewers naturally learn "what kind of swords were used in which eras."
• Second, it attracts visitors to related locations and real swords. Increased visits to sword-related facilities in regions where dramas are set contributes to the promotion of regional culture. The phenomenon of provincial temples, shrines, and museums related to famous swords experiencing the "Taiga Drama effect" repeats every year.
• Third, it creates new interest among diverse age groups and genders. Because Taiga Drama attracts a wide range of generations, it can draw interest from beyond the traditional sword enthusiast base. It is not uncommon for female viewers and younger generations to develop interest in actual sword culture for the first time through the drama.

Between Fiction and Historical Fact

Taiga Drama is ultimately entertainment, and exaggeration in production and discrepancies with historical facts are unavoidable. In sword depictions as well, due to action choreography requirements, movements different from actual iaido or swordsmanship may be portrayed. However, it is certain that viewers who develop interest in Japanese swords through the drama often take the next step of visiting actual sword museums or picking up specialized books.

Fiction serves as an "entrance," opening the door to authentic Japanese sword culture — Taiga Drama continues to fulfill this role.

Current Taiga Drama Research — The Role and Limits of Experts

In current Taiga Dramas, historical accuracy specialists (historians, folklorists, etc.) participate in production teams and supervise costumes, weapons, and language. Regarding swords as well, the koshirae form appropriate to the era and the characteristics of swords recorded as having been possessed by specific individuals may be referenced.

However, due to production requirements for drama (ensuring safety in action scenes, how lighting affects the image, actor convenience, etc.), depictions that are not historically accurate often remain. This can be said to be the fate of historical drama, but many viewers positively embrace it as "the pleasure of discovering differences between historical fact and production." With each Taiga Drama broadcast, opportunities increase for sword specialty magazines and books to feature special articles on "the drama's sword research," and combined with such information, the depth of appreciation expands.