Step 1) Tamahagane / raw material iron making

Today, about 80 Japanese sword smiths exist. These masters of their craft continue to make swords in the traditional way. All masters purchase a special iron of superior quality called tamahagane from the western city of Izumo, in Shimane Prefecture, which is the only place that still produces the raw materials necessary for swords. (Actually Izumo is called “home of gods” where all 8million

The sword became the symbol of the samurai code and even acquired further spiritual qualities. The shape of the sword and its making process have been improved and developed, especially during the period 900 to 1530 AD, when many small fiefdoms existed within Japan. Battles often happened and the sword was considered auseful weapon. Notably, however, it was during the peaceful Edo period that the shape and spirit of the sword

What do you imagine when you hear the word katana or “Japanese sword”? Japanese anime, such as Naruto, or the samurai killing each other of Takeshi Kitano movies? Well, in Japan, katana are offered to the gods because of their spiritual characteristics. People believed katana have three significant characteristics: purity, rarity, and value. The Japanese myths tell us about the three secret treasures of Japan and katana are one of