9/15/2023 0 Comments Cool o katana![]() It was exactly for this change of course in the style of fighting Samurai passed from Tachi to Katana. In this period of strong militarism, the production technology reaches unprecedented levels and, in correspondence of 5 large mining areas, there is the appearance of the famous five schools of forging of Katana, namely: Yamashiro School (Kyoto), Yamato School (Nara ), Bizen School (Okayama), Soshu School (Sagami), Mino School (Seki).ĭuring this period the figure of the Samurai was affixed, as opposed to the tradition, until then, of the infamous Samurai archer on horseback. The golden era of the development of this sword is the Kamakura period (1192-1333) of Japanese history, that is the period in which the figure of the Samurai that everyone knows begins to emerge, imposing itself not only as a figure of an elite warrior but also as a noble class, cultured and dominating the whole country, against an old aristocracy now too far from reality and devoted only to the pleasures of the court. The Katana is distinguished from the other Japanese sword variations by the l ength of its blade which is roughly always about 2 shaku (60 centimeters)Īlthough it allowed to store effectively, the katana was used mainly to hit with slashes, so its best quality was to cut, for this reason it was given the characteristic curved shape, unlike the classic straight western swords, used more to store or shatter. There are various types of sword in Japanese history (in fact the main differences regard their length and curvature), but the most important and famous is undoubtedly the Katana. The origin of Katana is not certain, the most accredited theories are those that see it as a variation derived from a Chinese sword and that according to which derives from the sword typical of Ainu, the indigenous polpolazione of Japan, which over the centuries, after continuous defeats military, has been confined in the extreme north of the country by the current Japanese. Thanks to the help of a Japanese friend we were able to contact him and make an appointment to visit his forge and listen from him the secrets of these formidable swords.Ĥ The use of Katana at present time Main features of the Katana ![]() Master Matsunaga is not descended from a family of producers of Katana, but his strong passion for the history of his country and its traditions led him to resign from his job to undertake a long apprenticeship with a renowned teacher, then, once acquired all the knowledge, he opened his own forge in traditional style. One of these forges in which the Katana are forged following the ancient systems is located in the southern island of Kyushu, in the small town of Arao of the prefecture of Kumamoto and is managed by the master Matsunaga Genrokurou. Nowadays in Japan still survives some ancient forge of Katana, generally managed by descendants of the ancient masters, they are Japanese National Heritage and also receiving subsidies from the state to preserve such as important and characteristic art of Japan. The production of a single Katana could also take 6 months of work and was divided into many different phases, and not all performed by the same craftsman. In Japan the production of swords was not just a job, therefore, but rather an art with a spiritual meaning, and the best producers of Katana in the various eras of Japan were considered almost like the Samurai, despite their manual work, as a craftsman, consequently certainly not worthy of the Samurai nobility acquired only by right of birth. Subsequently, with the explosion of the Samurai epic, in many cities and villages, the best smiths became katana molders. ![]() They were alchemists, poets, writers, fighters considered unbeatable and blade-makers, had vast knowledge and for them to forge a blade constituted a real ascetic practice. ![]() The first Japanese sword-makers were Buddhist Tendai monks or mountain warrior monks called Yamabushi. In this article I want to bring you into the fascinating ancient Samurai world through the explanation of their legendary sword, the now famous, even in the West, Katana.Įveryone knows that the Katana is the Japanese sword and its main characteristic is to be bent and have only one thread (only one sharp edge), but there is much more to know about this sword, considered by many to be the perfect sword. ![]()
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