“Never blinking as the sparks fly.
Seeking a world beyond nature.”
25th Generation Sword Artisan
Fujiwara Kanefusa
Profile
25th successor to a line of sword makers reaching back to the Muromachi period. Studied sword making under living national treasure Gassan Sadakazu. Certified sword maker under the National Agency of Cultural Affairs. 41st in the line of Shijoushiki sword artisans and maker of the treasured Shijouryushikihoutou and Houkoyoushikihoutou swords. Lecturer on the discipline of sword making at schools of higher education, government agencies and private corporations. Former chairman of the All Japan Sword Smiths Association, former vice-chairman of the Kanden Technological Preservation Association, former president of Kanden Sword Making Association.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column]
Transcendent Concentration
Steel does not weld below a temperature of 1300°C, but there is no instrument for measuring its temperature while it is being worked. However, through experience one learns to determine temperature by the color of the flame, the sound of the forge, and the way the blade glows. With each strike of the hammer, and every draft of the bellows, the conditions change. For instance, the sound of the forge is normally “gohh,” but it can become a peculiar “chii-” at times. There is no manual explaining these differences; they can only be learned through experience and intuition. Judgment of this kind also depends on concentration. Like a sumo wrestler, focus is required from one instant to the next. This level of concentration must be maintained for 30 minutes. During this time one is listening for the slightest difference in sound, and during the whole process the eyes remain open, even when the flame flares close to eyes. At this time, the sword smith enters a realm that transcends the natural world.
The sword is not an object of fear, but the spirit of Japan.
Today the sword is no longer an item of necessity; hence, it is a difficult time for the sword smith. A quality item that is of no use to the public will not sell. Therefore, we are working far and wide to raise awareness of the sword. For instance, we have done a collaboration with the animated science fiction show Evangelion to create an image sword for Nagisa Kaoru, one if the characters. This sword has been exhibited in many places, and viewed by countless fans, including many young girls. We’re doing away with the idea of the sword as something fearful , and discovering new ways to appreciate it. In truth, the sword is not a weapon, but the spirit of the samurai, as well as his protector and treasure. We have shown the Japanese sword in places like Russia and Germany, making its wonders known around the world. In this way we are leaving evidence that ‘we ourselves have lived and worked in these times.’
Mino-den – the world famous sword tradition of Seki
Sword making in Japan is an art of the Kamakura period. The five schools of sword making are the Yamashiro-den, the Yamato-den, the Bizen-den, the Soushu-den and the Mino-den. Collectively, these are called the “Five Sword Traditions” (gokaden.) The studio of Kanefusa Fujiwara follows the tradition of the Mino line.
The world famous Mino sword making tradition was born in the land of Mino, in present day Seki City. The founder of the line, Motoshige, is said to have moved here from Kamakura to build his forge. He found that the available natural resources – high quality blade baking clay, pine charcoal, and good water from the nearby Nagara and Tsuho rivers – were ideally suited to his craft. Other sword smiths joined Motoshige in establishing the local industry.
During the Warring States period Mino became important due to its location on the road from Kanto to the capital, Kyoto. Nagoya, where many of the samurai lived, was also nearby. As many of them began carrying Mino swords, the fame of the regional trade grew, and Mino became the country’s leading producer of swords. What made Seki particularly famous was the sword maker Kanemoto the Second, one of the so called Six grandchildren, who developed a method for forging an especially strong blade. The samurai loved the unequaled sharpness of his swords, and the industry flourished.
One of the distinctive aspects of the Mino sword is the rippling pattern on the blade. This pattern is said to imitate the many small peaks of the mountain ranges around Mino, and is evidence of the connection between the sword and the natural world, a mutual respect that has existed since ancient times.
“It neither breaks nor bends, but cuts well”
The leading feature of the Japanese sword is said to be its sharpness. It neither breaks nor bends, but cuts well. What creates this quality is the process call
ed “building in”, whereby a core of relatively soft steel is wrapped within a mantle of harder steel. The Japanese sword is a creation of ferrous sand and charcoal. The quality of a country’s steel is an indicator of its cultural development. But it is not enough to simply preserve sword making techniques. An understanding of the culture surrounding the craft, and an interest in the peripheral technologies that support it, must be maintained with a sense of pride for the entire tradition.
Steel can also be made from the iron of a meteorite. Fujiwara Kanefusa worked with such meteorite iron, and made from it a sword which he bestowed upon Atsuta Shrine. At the enshrining ceremony, the sword was referred to as a “gift from heaven” which greatly pleased him.
