Togishi: The Specialist Craftsmen Who Restore Japanese Swords to Life

Togishi are specialist craftsmen who bring out the beauty of Japanese swords and restore the blade to its finest condition. If sword smiths create swords by forging tamahagane, then togishi are craftsmen who reveal that hidden beauty using nothing but whetstones and water. The skin pattern of the jigane, the nie and nioi of the hamon, the sharp ridge line of the shinogi—all of these become visible for the first time through the togishi's skill.

The work of a togishi is not merely "polishing." It is a highly technical practice with two aspects: "shape polishing" that corrects the curvature and form of the blade, and "display finishing" that makes the steel's microstructure visible. Because incorrect polishing significantly damages a sword's value, a togishi's skill directly determines the sword's market value.

The Path to Becoming a Togishi—The Reality of Apprenticeship

There is no legal examination system for togishi certification; instead, the traditional "apprenticeship system" under a master craftsman (shisho) is still maintained today. The typical apprenticeship path follows these stages:

Entry and apprenticeship period (1–3 years): Apprentices enter the master's workshop and begin with cleaning the workshop, maintaining tools, and managing whetstones. During this period, they are often not permitted to actually sharpen, instead spending their time observing senior craftsmen's work and understanding the nature of whetstones.

Early training period (3–7 years): Apprentices gradually learn beginning with "rough polishing" (aratogi) of the blade. They begin with modern swords or less valuable blades, gradually progressing to higher-value pieces. At this stage, they learn through experience the types of whetstones, how to use them, and how to apply pressure to different parts of the blade.

Intermediate period (7–15 years): Craftsmen master display finishing (hontogi/shiagetogi). This is when they learn advanced techniques such as "edge highlighting" (hatori) to maximize the hamon and "jigane polishing" (jitogi) to reveal the jigane's skin pattern.

Independence and full craftsman status (15+ years): Upon approval from the master, craftsmen establish their own workshop or work directly for museums and sword dealers.

The Whetstones Used by Togishi—The Science and Selection of Stone

The essence of a togishi's skill lies in their knowledge of whetstones and how to use them. Whetstones are broadly divided into "natural whetstones" (tennen doishi) and "synthetic whetstones" (jinzo doishi), but natural whetstones are considered essential for finishing Japanese swords.

Rough stones (arado) and medium stones (nakado): Used in the process of correcting the blade's form and removing large scratches. These relatively coarse-grit stones are used to adjust the edge angle and correct the blade's curvature.

Uchigumori stones: Used in the important process of bringing out the definition of the hamon. Whetstones from Kyoto Prefecture are considered the finest, and prices have soared due to declining mining quantities.

Finishing stones (shiagetogi) and Nagura stones (nagarado): The finest-grit whetstones used in the final finishing. This process that reveals the maximum beauty of the jigane requires considerable skill.

For polishing near the habaki and the edge tip, a special technique called "finger polishing" (yubitogi) is used, where small stone fragments are manipulated with the fingertips.

NBTHK Certification System—The Public Qualification Framework

The Society for Preservation of Japanese Art Swords (NBTHK) has established its own examination and certification system for togishi, which functions as an objective evaluation of technical standards.

Preservation Sword Polishing: A certification level recognizing polishing technique sufficient to pass NBTHK evaluation. This can be considered the minimum qualification for independent togishi status.

Special Preservation and Important Sword Polishing: The level required for polishing culturally significant swords. Only a limited number of togishi nationwide are qualified for this work.

Special Important Sword Polishing: The highest qualification level for polishing national treasures and important cultural properties. Currently, only about several dozen togishi nationwide have reached this level.

While the Agency for Cultural Affairs' "Intangible Cultural Property" designation is not given to individual togishi, several have been certified as "Designated Traditional Craft Holders" and operate under national protection.

The Contemporary Togishi Industry—Shortage of Successors and Challenges

An estimated 300–500 togishi work nationwide, with even fewer able to make a full living from the craft alone. While demand for art sword polishing remains stable, the long apprenticeship period and low initial income deter young entrants, creating a serious shortage of successors.

During apprenticeship, income often remains only a few tens of thousands of yen per month, creating prolonged financial hardship throughout the 15–20 year period before independence. After independence, however, some togishi earn hundreds of thousands to over a million yen for polishing a single important sword, creating significant income variation based on skill level.

As overseas collectors and Japanese sword enthusiasts increase, demand for high-level togishi remains strong. While some scholarship and subsidy programs for successor development are being established, they have not yet resolved the fundamental shortage of practitioners.