'Strength, beauty and life itself': Japanese swords forge new fanbase

Dubai: In a soot-darkened workshop, Japanese swordsmith Akihira Kawasaki watches as his apprentice hammers glowing red steel — continuing a craft that dates back more than a thousand years.

Despite a shrinking and ageing community of swordsmiths, Japan’s iconic katana is experiencing a revival in popularity, fuelled largely by pop culture. Video game phenomenon “Touken Ranbu”, which reimagines historic swords as handsome male characters, has played a major role over the past decade. International hits such as “Shogun” and the anime “Demon Slayer” have further expanded global interest in samurai culture and Japanese blades.

Kawasaki, 57, says the fanbase — once dominated by older men — now includes many young women. Among them is 25-year-old Minori Takumi, who developed her passion through “Touken Ranbu” before studying real blades in museums. Fascinated by details such as the milky-white hamon pattern along a katana’s edge, she eventually became a full-time curator at the Bizen Osafune Sword Museum in Setouchi.

The museum houses the legendary sword “Sanchomo,” a national treasure purchased in 2020 for over $3 million through crowdfunding. When displayed, visitor numbers surge, with women making up about 80 per cent of guests.

Yet swordsmiths themselves face hardship. Their numbers have halved to around 160 over four decades. Long unpaid apprenticeships and limited earnings deter newcomers, while collectors often favour ancient blades over modern creations.

Kawasaki believes contemporary katana should be recognised not merely as relics, but as works of art. “Unless we declare ourselves artists of steel,” he says, “we will never be properly recognised.”

Video: AFP