Even if you purchase the Japanese sword of your dreams, you may not be able to fully showcase the beauty of your Japanese sword unless you display it properly. In this article, we would like to explain the proper way to display and store your Japanese sword. If you find a Japanese sword in a museum or art gallery, you will probably notice that either only the blade or the koshirae of the sword is on display. So, what if you want to display a Japanese sword in your home? When you display a koshirae-equipped Japanese sword in your home, you usually display only the koshirae on a sword rack, and ..read more

In the Japanese sword world, we often hear the term, Mukansa. Originally, it means that a work is allowed to be exhibited without examination by the exhibition organizer, mainly in the field of art, taking into consideration its past achievements. In other words, being recognized as Mukansa by a prominent exhibition or organization is proof that a person or work has been held in extremely high esteem for a long period of time. In the sword world, Mukansa is a title that recognizes the exceptional skills of a swordsmith who has been recognized by the Society for Preservation of Japanese Swords ..read more

Different types have different lengths and weights Length and Shape If you are thinking of collecting Japanese swords, you should know that there are different lengths and weights for different types of Japanese swords! By understanding this, you will be able to find the perfect Japanese sword for your collection to fully enjoy the history and depth of Japanese swords. In this article, we would like to introduce the length and weight of Japanese swords.  Japanese swords are classified according to their length and shape. First, let us explain how they are classified. Chokuto(Straight swor ..read more

There are two types of Japanese swords made by modern swordsmiths: one being what is called a bijutsu-token or "art sword" and the other is called an iaito or "iai sword.” Since there is seldom a clear definition to differentiate between the two, many may have made the judgment based only on a vague concept. We asked the All Japan Swordsmith Association (the largest organization of modern swordsmiths in Japan) about this matter, and the following is the All Japan Swordsmith Association's definition of an art sword and an iaido sword. The excellence of the Japanese sword as a weapon has long be ..read more

What is Fuchi-gashira? Fuchi-gashira is a decorative metal fitting attached to the handle of a Japanese sword. It is a general term for two metal fittings: the Tsukagashira (commonly known as "kashira") attached to the end of the handle, and the Fuchigane (commonly known as "fuchi") attached to the the tsuba side of the handle. These metal fittings serve to reinforce each part of the handle and come as a pair. Initially, the tsukagashira and the fuchigane metal fittings were decorated differently, but gradually the same patterns were applied to both, and the two became known as Fuchi-gashira ..read more

The Japanese sword is a weapon known as the soul of the samurai. Yet, many people, both in Japan and abroad, are fascinated by its beauty, making it different from other antiques. In particular, if you are a fan of Japanese history, a fan of historical dramas, or someone who has become interested in Japanese swords through anime, you have probably at least once wanted to own a real Japanese sword. On the other hand, the reality of how to acquire and own a Japanese sword is not well known even here in Japan. For example, we are often asked questions such as, "To obtain a Japanese sword, do ..read more

What are Japanese swords? Simply put, Japanese swords or katana are made by a unique Japanese blacksmithing method and are assumed to have been crafted in Japan, but a Japanese sword cannot merely be characterized as a weapon. It has been for long a symbol of the authority of both emperors and warriors and sometimes an object of faith. Today, the Japanese sword is widely considered as an art piece: many are internationally considered cultural assets, some are even officially defined as national treasures in Japan. The Big Factory We have heard more and more of products informally named katana ..read more

We have written a number of entries about how the katana appears in many Japanese idioms, these gained a great response from our readers. Therefore, we decided to take things a little broader, focusing not only on the sword but on the “samurai” as we explore more idiomatic expressions. Some of these are still used in everyday conversation, whereas some have become archaic, but they all artfully express the samurai's attitude and way of life. Hana wa sakura-gi hito wa bushi Cherry-blossoms are to flowers as bushi are to men Among Japan's flowers the sakura cherry blossoms are regarded as the m ..read more

Though we use iaito, bokuto and shinai; we must never forget that these are swords Training begins and ends with etiquette Iaido and kendo are both budo that places a strong emphasis on manners and etiquette – not only to our partners but also to the spaces within which we practice and to opponents who are not even there.  This is distilled into the common phrase: "Training begins and ends with etiquette." However, we also perform plenty of actions throughout training that are all about respect and bringing a serious manner to our training.  It can be easy to forget the&nb ..read more

Our popular blog post series is back again There are even more sword-related Japanese idioms we would like to introduce to you. Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 have also been well received, and we encourage you to read these as well Tsukeyaki-ba (Blade forged and stuck on) When a sword loses its sharpness, sometimes swordsmiths will stick on a tempered blade made of steel. This is called Tsukeyaki-ba, but such a blade very quickly loses its cutting ability and becomes useless. From this analogy, this term refers to knowledge and skills that were hastily acquired without maturity. Menuki-dori ..read more