Forging the Future: Japanese Swords in Tango

town and culture 6.1.2022

The process is a rhythm, the clang of the hammer on red-hot tamahagane steel melodic. The Tango region, located at the northernmost tip of Kyoto Prefecture, is no stranger to the rhythm and melodies of artisans, with weaving machines running in the background of so many small streets. Now, three young swordsmiths create harmony with the weavers. The swordsmiths moved to Tango in 2021, an area filled with legends and history related to swords. They are enthusiastic about the future of this time-consuming traditional industry, and aim to breathe new life into the Japanese sword industry while at the same time protecting the traditions and culture that birthed it. No small order. Good thing there are three of them!

｜Weapons transformed into Fine Art

The Japanese sword was born in the Heian period (794-1185). Until then, swords made in Japan were straight swords (swords without curve) imported from the Eurasian continent. But as fighting styles changed, Japanese swords became curved to make them easier to handle on horseback.

　Later, improvements were made to swords in accordance with the time periods. For example, during the period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, when the idea of meritocracy prevailed, swords were made long and grandiose in order to show off one's skills. Then came the early modern age of the Muromachi period (1336-1573), when society became stable, and elegant shapes were preferred. Although sword forging is one of Japan's world-class traditional crafts, its value is not well understood and demand is shrinking. And as a result, the number of swordsmiths who pass on the tradition to the next generation is decreasing.

｜Introducing the three licensed swordsmiths of Nippon Genshosha

The Tango workshop is owned and operated by swordsmiths Tomoki Kuromoto, 35, Kosuke Yamazoe, 32, and Tomoyuki Miyagi, 32, who established Nihon Genshosha Co. in 2019. All three aspired to pursue sword-making since childhood and studied under the same swordsmith master.

｜Apprenticeship under Yoshito Yoshihara

　Their master is Yoshito Yoshihara, a Tokyo-based swordsmith who has, among his accolades, created three sacred tachi swords for the ceremonial renewal of the Ise Jingu Grand Shrine that happens once every twenty years. Some of his work can be found in collections at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. He is one of Japan's leading swordsmiths.

　To become a swordsmith, one must complete a training course offered by the Agency for Cultural Affairs. The qualification requires one to have at least four years of experience under a licensed swordsmith. Unlike other professions where it’s possible to learn skills and knowledge at a vocational school, the apprenticeship is only the beginning of the journey to becoming a swordsmith. For this reason, Mr. Yoshihara's workshop attracts many people who wish to become apprentices, but not all are accepted.

　Mr. Kuramoto and Mr. Yamazoe are from Osaka, and although they were not sure where their pursuit would take them, they both resolved themselves to follow the path of the sword, and moved to Tokyo. As they attended the workshop, they were entrusted with work as apprentices. Mr. Miyagi, who is also from Tokyo, attended the course while still in college, and after graduation he became an apprentice as well. "I think our determination was pretty clear,” Mr. Kuromoto recalls.

｜The Pursuit of Smithing

　Although the three were initiated at different times, they each completed their training which served as the beginning of their paths to being swordsmiths. All three began as "semi-independent," and rented a workshop in Yachiyo-machi in Ibaraki Prefecture, which was owned by Mr. Yoshihara, all the while making their own work as well.

　Siblings and apprentices are usually based in the same workshop, so naturally the three young smiths began to talk about the future and found that they shared a common desire to improve the struggling Japanese sword industry. The three of them were determined to work together. They established Nippon Genshosha in Tokyo.

｜Looking for a workshop of their own

　It’s rare in Japan for multiple swordsmiths to get together and form a company. Initially, Mr. Kuramoto considered opening his own workshop in the Kanto region, but was unable to find a suitable location. And because of the special nature of the sword-making business, fundraising did not go as expected.

｜Promise in Kyotango

They began searching for possible sites to open their own forge. One of the most promising sites was a vacant house in Tango (part of Kyotango City), that belonged to Mr. Yamazoe’s grandparents. It’s nowhere near Tokyo, and a very different environment from where they had been working previously. Except for Mr. Yamazoe, who had memories of the area from childhood, Mr. Kuromoto and Mr. Miyagi were completely unfamiliar with this seaside town and rural living. But the area had a deep history and rich culture, and connections to sword legends, which made it an appealing option for their workshop.

｜Legendary Swords

A visit to the area revealed that the region is closely associated with swords. In the town of Kumihama (part of the city of Kyotango), a sword from the Kofun period, the gilded bronze tachi with double dragon ring head (shown above), had been excavated, and in the town of Yasaka (also in Kyotango) there are the archaeological remains of an ancient iron manufacturing complex.

There are also legends of swords related to Prince Maroko, the half-brother of Prince Shotoku, at the ancient volcanic rock formation Tateiwa, and as well at Takeno shrines (both in the town where they were looking). Fate seemed to be pulling them towards the Sea of Japan in Kyoto.

｜Moving

Their big decision was made during the height of COVID, a time that was changing people's way of life. It seemed to them that if they were making good products, they would be able to run their business from anywhere, regardless of whether it was in the city or the countryside. Plus, local residents were incredibly welcoming and excited at the prospect of the three swordsmiths coming to the area. So after getting acquainted with the area and the people living there, they decided to build their forge and start their business in earnest in Tango.

The Modern Sword

Finally, with the business in full swing, the three have shifted their focus to, what else, making swords. But the idea is to create swords that fit the current era. The overall shape of Japanese swords actually changes across different periods, changed with the times, but today they are often based on the Kamakura period. They are aiming to create swords of the new Reiwa era by adopting elements of modern art while still preserving tradition.

　One of their ideas is a sword with the local area, Kyotango, as its theme. In addition to expressing the sea and mountains in the blade pattern, they are intending to use Tango textiles, a traditional local industry, for the koshirae sword fittings.

｜Connecting and Sharing their Trade

　Nippon Genshosha have been great spokespeople for the Japanese sword industry, creating interest and raising the knowledge of the general public by sharing their trade with online communities. Not only do they do in-house filming and editing of videos that they post on their Youtube channel, they have a a regularly updated facebook page (with posts in both English and Japanese), and they also offer tours and hands-on experiences in cooperation with the tourism industry for visitors who want a better understanding of the sword making process, or for those who are interested in modern art and want to visit their gallery.

｜Giving back by training aspiring swordsmiths

　Mr. Kuramoto is eager to create more and more jobs by collaborating with various industries. Once the business really gets moving, he would like to create a system where they could accept and train aspiring sword smiths as employees of Nippon Genshosha.

　The future of the Japanese sword industry is in Tango.

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