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The best swords made in this period are from Yasukuni, and the school
The best swords made in this period are from Yasukuni, and the school
produced some good smith. All of the "Yasukuni smiths" have their name
produced some good smith. All of the "Yasukuni smiths" have their name
beginning with the "Yasu" Kanji.
beginning with the "Yasu" Kanji.
were produced.
A near-deadly blow came after the Japan's surrender, when the Americans
forbade the manufacturing of swords. About 400.000 historically and
artistically interesting swords ended up in the USA as war trophy, including
the favourite one of the Tokugawa Shogunate, the '''Honjo Masamune''', kokuho
National treasure. Many works have been given back in a later time, but not
"Honjo". It's still missing together with other top-quality ones.
Countless (assumed to be more then 1.000.000) were destroyed, including perhaps very fine
blades of ancient time.
The art of the Japanese sword was on the brink of becoming extinct.
From 1946 to 1953 only sixty swords were smithed for the great ceremony of
the renewal of Ise Shrine, a ceremonial that dated more then 1000 years.
Allied forces granted permission for smithing such blades, but they were
requested, by the ceremonial, to be of the ancient type "Jokoto", not curved
ones.
In 1953 the ban was retired and the japanese sword begun to be produced as an
art object, in a different and better way then made in the post-Meiji time.
Still maintaining their full and legendary functionality they increased
their spiritual and artistical meaning, being no more an effective weapon.
The following layout shows the main (NOT all) '''Sugata''' (shape) changes of the japanese sword with period and lenght (in shaku, 1 shaku = 30.3022 cm or 11.93 inches) from right to left, first line first. Obviously an infinite number of possible mix are found, but these are
The following layout shows the main (NOT all) '''Sugata''' (shape) changes of the japanese sword with period and lenght (in shaku, 1 shaku = 30.3022 cm or 11.93 inches) from right to left, first line first. Obviously an infinite number of possible mix are found, but these are
the most common ones.
the most common ones.
