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Aperçus sur les connaissances et la culture du sabre japonais
The full picture of the Shimazu clan's swordsmith patronage system in the Edo period. Examining stipends, forging obligations, and lineage management for retainer smiths, Satsuma's unique use of nanban-tetsu (foreign iron), and the modern continuation of Japan's southernmost ancient school, the Naminohira lineage.
A comprehensive guide to the credentials, exams, and training systems for becoming a "swordsmith" (artistic sword-forging technician) in modern Japan. Covers training programs run by the Cultural Affairs Agency and NBTHK, methods for apprenticing with a master, and the realistic timeline, costs, and career path needed to achieve independence.
Explains the intersection of tea ceremony and sword culture in the Azuchi-Momoyama period (late 16th century). Detailed examination of the aesthetic commonalities between tea implements selected by Sen no Rikyū and swords, Toyotomi Hideyoshi's sword collection, sword etiquette in tea gatherings, and the relationship between the spirit of refined taste and sword appreciation.
A comprehensive guide to selecting bokken (wooden swords), replica swords, iaito (iaido practice swords), and real Japanese swords (shinken) used in kendo, iaido, and traditional martial arts training. Covers style-specific specifications, progression recommendations from beginners to advanced practitioners, and legal and safety considerations.
A comprehensive historical overview of "moroha-zukuri" (double-edged swords), a unique form in Japanese sword craftsmanship. Spanning from ancient swords and straight blades with double edges through specific school short swords to contemporary sword smiths' revival works, this article covers the complete history and technical characteristics of double-edged blade structures.
Explains the relationship between the Edo shogunate's sankin-kotai system and sword policy. Details the reality of samurai's sword-bearing obligations, prohibition of highway murder, and sword-drawing regulations; the role of swords in daimyo processions; and the historical significance of the transition from "swords as weapons" to "swords as status symbols."
This article details the lineage and craftsmanship of three master swordsmiths—Kanefusa, Kanemoto, and Kanesada—from the "Seki Kaji" blade-smith collective centered in Seki City (now Gifu Prefecture). It also explains the technical characteristics of the Mino Tradition (Minoden) that swept across Japan during the Sengoku period.
Explains how the ratio of base width and point width of a Japanese sword—"fumbaari"—differs between combat and display use. Details the tradeoffs in center-of-gravity design, operability, and aesthetics, and the history of kissaki width changes by era.
Detailed examination of the forging techniques of Gassan Sadakatsu II (1907–1995), a Showa-era Living National Treasure. Explains the distinctive "ayasugi-hada" (wavy grain pattern) characteristic of the Osaka Gassan school, production methodology, technical lineage continuing from the original Gassan of the Edo period, and appreciation points of representative works.
Explains the history, structure, and practical combat usage of non-blade weapons carried by Sengoku warlords—gunbai (war fans, fan-shaped), tessem (iron fans), and saihai (command batons). Details their combinations with bladed weapons, aesthetic principles of their mountings, and modern possession regulations.
Examines the contrasting philosophies of sword and blade craftsmanship held by the kuge (aristocracy) and samurai (warriors) during the Heian period (794–1185). Explores the divergence between ceremonial and decorative "tachi" (long swords) and combat-oriented blades, the significance of swords in the imperial court, and the practical militarization of blades accompanying the rise of the warrior class in the late Heian period.
This article analyzes the multiple factors that sparked the Japanese sword boom since the 2010s. It explains how the game "Touken Ranbu" tapped into younger and female audiences, government tourism policies, inbound demand driven by a weaker yen, and social media's viral effects combined to create a modern sword culture revival.
