Japanese Sword

THE YOSHIHARA TRADITION AND MODERN JAPANESE SWORDS

The craft and its appreciation

SWORD

The Art of the Japanese

Leon & Hiroko Kapp Yoshindo Yoshihara

P U B L I S H E D 2011 J A PA N , I TA LY , USA

The subject of this book is the traditional Japanese sword. Although the subject is of interest to many people, these swords are difficult to look at and appreciate. This book emphasizes learning about Japanese swords by explaining how to look at, handle, and examine a traditional Japanese sword. There is information on the history and vocabulary used to describe the Japanese sword, and the book closely follows a sword smith working in Tokyo today, and shows how he makes a traditional sword beginning with a traditional type of Japanese steel called tama hagane.

Finally, there is also information about how the sword is polished and finished and mounted by three other craftsmen after the sword smith has finished making a sword.

PART 1: BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE BOOK The subject of Japanese swords is fascinating and also a bit mysterious.

Although people are interested in looking at these swords and handling them, it is not immediately obvious what to look at, what to look for, or how to evaluate, judge and appreciate these swords. This goal of this book is to try to provide a background and basic knowledge about Japanese swords, so the readers can understand something about these swords, their history, and their esthetics.

The approach taken by the authors in this book was to explain in detail how to examine and handle the swords and how to take care of them. The core of the book shows how such a sword is made today. It is possible to illustrate this in detail because there are hundreds of sword smiths currently working in Japan, and they use fully traditional methods to make the these swords, and the technology has been fully preserved from Japan’s past into today’s modern era. By observing the sword smith at work making one, and observing the traditional methods of examining and handling these swords, one can learn what to look for, how to evaluate them, and begin to appreciate them.

Japanese swords are a fascinating subject for many reasons: of interest is their history, metallurgy, steel, sophisticated craftsmanship, use, and esthetics. Thus, they can be appreciated from many viewpoints. This is an old craft which was established in Japan during approximately the 4th to 6th centuries, and developed over the next 500-600 years. The sword was completely developed and in its present form by the end of the Kamakura Period (1185-1334 AD). The sword was a critical weapon in Japan right up to modern times and the Westernization of Japan which began in 1868.

However, the craft has been completely preserved into modern times.

Swords are still made today in a completely traditional manner.

It is difficult to see and examine such swords. There are traditional ways to look at them and to study specific features of these swords. Except for their imposing and impressive shapes with a single cutting edge emphasized by the unique visible pattern along the hardened edge, most details are subtle and require some knowledge to see.

This book presents traditional methods of examining and maintaining these swords in considerable detail.

Such background information will make it possible for readers to begin to examine and appreciate these swords.

Learning how these swords are made today and what goes into their construction is fascinating in itself. Knowledge of how the sword smith works also makes it easier for someone to understand what they are seeing, and what to look for when examining a Japanese sword. The color photos in the book illustrate what the sword smith does, the complexity of making these swords, and also helps the reader to understand the efforts, materials and techniques used in making them. Such information also makes it easier to look at a Japanese sword and to begin to understand what is so fascinating about them.

This presentation of Japanese swords is unusual since there is a strong focus on examining and looking at the sword, and on the sword smith making a sword. There is also information on the history of the Japanese sword, examples and photos of historical and modern swords, and drawings to help illustrate the specialized vocabulary used to describe the swords

VOCABULARY DRAWING AND SMALL OSHIGATA

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The aim of the book is to provide a background and understanding of the Japanese sword, and to explain to the reader how to look at the sword, provide some idea of what to look for, and present the traditional vocabulary and history used to discuss and understand these swords. It is hoped that this background will enable the reader to examine and appreciate the Japanese sword.

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T W A) B) C) D) E) F) G) H) I) J) K) L) M)

SAKIKASANE (先重ね) MOTOKASANE (元重ね) KISSAKI NAGASA (切先長さ) SAKIHABA (先幅) MUNE (棟) MOTOHABA (元幅) MUNEMACHI (棟区) HAMACHI (刃区) FUKURA (ふくら) BOSHI (帽子) YOKOTE (横手) KOSHINOGI (小鎬) MITSUKADO (三ﾂ角)

N) O) P) Q) R) S) T) U) V) W) X) Y) Z)

SHINOGI MITSUKADO)(鎬三ﾂ角) SHINOGI-JI (鎬地) SHINOGI (鎬) JI (地) HA (刃) NIOIGUCHI (匂口) ASHI (足) SORI (反り) HACHO (刃長) ZENCHO (全長) NAKAGO NAGASA (なかご長さ) MEKUGIANA (目釘穴) MEI (銘)

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1) KANSHO OR APPRECIATION APPRECIATION OF THE JAPANESE SWORD. HOW TO HANDLE AND EXAMINE A JAPANESE SWORD; HOW TO CLEAN AND MAINTAIN THE SWORD; LOOKING AT A JAPANESE SWORD; VOCABULARY USED TO DESCRIBE THE SWORD; DESCRIPTION AND VOCABULARY TO DESCRIBE THE SWORD MOUNTING; EXAMINING THE SWORD’S MOUNTING.

2) HISTORY HISTORY OF THE JAPANESE SWORD. DEVELOPMENT IN JAPAN; HISTORICAL SCHOOLS AND SWORD SMITHS; EVOLUTION OF THE JAPANESE SWORD; SCHOOLS AND STYLE OF SWORDS AROUND JAPAN.

3) THE TATARA OR SMELTER TRADITIONAL JAPANESE STEEL OR TAMA HAGANE; THE UNIQUE NATURE OF TAMA HAGANE; TRADITIONAL JAPANESE SMELTERS OR TATARA; MAKING TAMA HAGANE. 4) FORGING A SWORD THE SWORD SMITH’S CRAFT; BEGINNING WITH TAMA HAGANE; MAKING THE TRADITIONAL STEEL; MAKING THE COMPOSITE SWORD STRUCTURE; FORGING THE SWORD; MAKING THE UNIQUE HARDENED EDGE OR HAMON. FINISHING AND SHAPING THE SWORD; HORIMONO AND DECORATIVE WORK. 5) OTHER CRAFTSMAN FINISHING THE SWORD: THE POLISHER; MAKING THE HABAKI OR COLLAR; MAKING THE SCABBARD.

Limited edition Pages 240 5 + 5 colors Published 2011

W.T.C.

2001–2011 ANNIVERSARY For N Neve eveR R F Forget orget

On the next Tenth Anniversary, for remember the old W.T.C. and never forget all victims, Mr. Yoshihara Yoshindo planned an idea with the utilization of the W.T.C. originalsteel. One of the main Museums in New York City likes to follow up the initiative of forging two WTC-steel blades, big “tanto” shaped, symbolizing the Twin Towers. One blade for permanent display at the Museum remembering September 11, the other to be get under the hammer in a private auction, starting on the basis of a high price. All the amount will be presented by the Museum to a “not lucrative institution” for WTC victims or similar charity ones. For making possible that forging idea, all the project contributors will attend for free to the initiative. The great Japanese Forging Master Mr. Yoshihara Yoshindo and his family will donate two forging blades, made in the old japanese tradition, by resmelting the W.T.C. steel and, if possible, personally carving on the twin blades some kind of “horimono” representing an abstract trade center tower. Vercelli, Dicembre 2009.

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