The World of the Togishi: Skills and Training of the Polishing Artisan Who Restores the Hamon

A togishi is a specialist artisan who polishes the blade of a nihontō and draws out its inherent beauty and cutting ability. More than a mere "polishing craftsman," the togishi must understand the forging technique the tōkō applied to the blade, restore the original hamon on old swords, and give fullest expression to the maker's intent on newly made swords — a profession that demands advanced skill and a discerning eye.

The Togishi: The Mission and Technical Framework of the Sword Polisher

The togishi's work is the "final finishing" after a sword is complete, and at the same time a "revival." The process by which a kotō that has been stored away in a storehouse for many years comes to radiate light again through the togishi's hands plays an extremely important role in nihontō culture.

The togishi's technical framework encompasses not merely polishing the blade with whetstones but a series of complex processes: the discerning eye that evaluates the overall distortion and sori of the blade; selection of whetstone type and grit; adjustment of polishing pressure, angle, and speed; differentiating the togi of the "cutting edge," the subtle boundary between the edge and the jigane; and finally expressing the gloss and hamon through cosmetic polishing (finishing togi). The togishi's mission is to draw out through polishing the fullest expression of the character the tōkō intended when forging the blade.

The Polishing Process: Rough Togi, Finishing Togi, and the Hamon Restoration Process

The togishi's actual work is divided broadly into three stages.

• Rough togi (aratogi): Old swords and swords that have been used accumulate rust and scratches. Coarse whetstones (rough-grit stones) are used to remove rust and scratches from the entire blade. At this stage it is important to evaluate the overall shape of the sword and confirm whether the blade has sori or distortion. During the aratogi, the togishi begins to form a hypothesis about where the original hamon lies.
• Middle togi (nakatogi): After the aratogi, finer whetstones are used to advance the polishing evenly across the entire blade. At this stage the hamon that the tōkō sought to express when forging the blade begins gradually to emerge. To render the outline of the hamon more clearly, the togishi advances the whetstone grit incrementally.
• Finishing togi (shiagetogi): Finally, the finest whetstones (the highest grade among natural whetstones) are used to polish the details of the hamon selectively. At this stage the sharpness of the cutting edge is drawn out and the gloss of the jigane adjusted. The goal of the shiagetogi is to give fullest expression to the utsuri (a band of light that floats across the entire blade surface) and the jihada (the texture of the jigane) that appear on the blade.

Whetstone selection at each stage differs according to the sword's period, tōkō, and quality of steel. Whetstone choice differs greatly between old blades (swords of the Heian to Kamakura periods) and newly made swords, and only an experienced togishi can choose the optimal whetstone for the sword in hand.

Reading and Restoring Old Hamon: The Togishi's Discerning Eye, Rust, Scratches, and the Original Outline

The most advanced skill of the togishi is "restoration of the old hamon." A sword that has been stored for many years may have its hamon obscured by rust and scratches. The togishi must deduce from faint traces what form the original hamon took and proceed with the togi accordingly.

For example, when the hamon is of a specific form called "chōji-ba," the togishi must understand the size, spacing, and regularity of the chōji clusters, then reproduce the original form while removing the rust. An error in this judgment will cause the hamon to become distorted or, through excessive polishing, lose its original character.

The togishi's discerning eye is cultivated from knowledge learned through texts and masters and from the experience of having actually polished thousands of swords. For old swords, identifying the tōkō through a kanteisho or the mei is also important, but ultimately the togishi's own "eye" is the last line of defense in reading the intent of the original hamon. Reading all of this — the traces of the era hidden within the hamon, the characteristics of the tōkō's school, and the artisan's pride — is the skill demanded of a true togishi.

Training and Technical Transmission: Years of Apprenticeship and the Schools and Lineages That Are Passed Down

The traditional apprenticeship period to become a togishi is considered to be ten years or more. The first three to four years of training are devoted to acquiring knowledge of whetstones and basic techniques. After that, trainees acquire the ability to read and restore the hamon by actually polishing old and newly made swords.

The togishi's skills are often passed down along family lines as a "school" or "lineage." Among well-known togishi schools, the polishing techniques of the Hon'ami family lineage, which flourished during the Edo period, continue to influence togishi of the present day. Different polishing techniques have also developed in regional production centers; for example, togishi in Nagoya possess a distinctive technique known as "Nagoya-togi."

Today it is rare for younger generations to enter togishi apprenticeships, and the shortage of successors to elderly togishi has become a challenge for the entire industry. As a result, a sense of urgency about preserving the transmission of traditional techniques has grown, and some togishi are working actively to pass their skills on to younger artisans.

Challenges Facing Today's Togishi: Aging, Succession, Industrial Change, and the Value of the Artisan

The modern togishi industry faces several serious challenges. Many prominent togishi are in their seventies or older, and togishi in their thirties or younger are extremely few. The length of the apprenticeship, the instability of income, and the low level of social recognition all make it rare for younger generations to choose the path of the togishi. As a result, when a togishi with decades of skill retires, the risk that those skills will be lost grows.

In recent years, the demand relating to the preservation and care of nihontō has been changing. In some areas a tendency for polishing needs to decline has been observed, making it harder for togishi to earn a stable living, and ingenuity is required to sustain the profession. At the same time, sword restoration and polishing work at art museums and history museums continues, and the importance of togishi from an academic and cultural perspective remains unchanged.

Master Artisans, Schools, and Their Transmission to the Present Day

Among the most famous individuals and schools of togishi, the Hon'ami family of the Edo period stands foremost. Generation after generation, the Hon'ami clan made polishing and appraising swords their livelihood and earned the trust of the Tokugawa shogunate. Even today, the polishing techniques of the Hon'ami lineage are respected as "Hon'ami-togi."

In the Shōwa and Heisei eras, several mukansa togishi (togishi certified by the Agency for Cultural Affairs as possessing advanced skill) were active, and through their hands many kotō were revived. It is through the work of these master artisans that the beauty of the nihontō has been transmitted to the present day.

The world of the togishi, like that of the tōkō, is a domain where the artisan's skill and discerning eye are tested to the fullest. "Making" a sword and "polishing" it are the two wheels that together sustain nihontō culture.