Inside the Workshop Crafting $15,000 Katana Swords

Fast Summary

• Location and Activity: In Japan’s Tango peninsula, three artisans-Kosuke Yamazoe, Tomoyuki Miyagi, and Tomoki Kuromoto-operate Nippon genshosha, one of the few remaining katana foundries in the world.
• Crafting History: The art of swordmaking saw a decline after 1876 when carrying swords was outlawed and further diminished post-World War II due too restrictions on production by occupying forces.Only some 200 licensed swordmakers are believed to remain today.
• Background: The artisans underwent a rigorous 10-year apprenticeship under Yoshikazu Yoshihara and his father Yoshindo Yoshihara in tokyo. They launched their current operation in 2019 using an abandoned barn owned by Yamazoe’s grandparents.
• Sword Characteristics: Nippon Genshosha katanas are handmade using tamahagane steel sourced from Shimane Prefecture. Their swords take over a year to produce and cost around $15,000 each.
• Innovation Efforts: To appeal to modern collectors, the group customizes blade patterns (hamon) based on client requests and encases blades in obvious resin blocks for safer display as art pieces.
• Challenges: Demand for high-dollar katanas is declining. The team aims to attract both newer audiences and preserve traditional craftsmanship.

!National Geographic – Katana Swords