Verified [Verified] denotes information that has been published with confirmation of its owing parties.
Feel the “spirit of the samurai” awaiting inside a Japanese sword, a fusion of weaponry and art.
Beloved for their dignified beauty, Japanese swords have garnered many fans worldwide.
Various famous swords are exhibited at museums and art galleries, but the "Shijimaya-Honpo" experience program allows visitors to hold a sword and really appreciate it by feeling its weight in their hands.
Mr. Masahisa Shijimaya, president of Shijimaya Honpo, founded in 1875, is originally a samurai descendant. The Japanese sword, known as the "spirit of the samurai" in samurai society, became a symbol of samurai status in the Edo period when it was rarely used as an actual weapon. Many Japanese swords have been kept as family heirlooms in the storehouse of the Shijimaya-Honpo for a long time, and visitors can appreciate various Japanese swords from different eras in this hands-on program.
The sword inscribed "Noshu Sekiju Kanemoto" is about 500 years old. "Kanemoto" is a renowned Japanese swordsmith.
In addition, you can also see the Hitofuri (hitofuri; meaning a single sword) that was worn by Masahisa Shijimaya's ancestor, who the Kaga Clan sent to guard the Kyoto Imperial Palace during the historic "Kinmon-No-Hen Incident" at the end of the Edo period, and a "Futokoro-gatana (women’s dagger)" that his grandmother brought as a bride's tool.
The Japanese swords that can be seen in this hands-on experience program are not only weapons but also works of art. There are many points of appreciation for Japanese swords, such as "the Sugata (apperance)”, the "Hamon (temper pattern of blade)”, and the "Jigane (ground metal of the sword)”, but one more thing should be added to the list: the Toso（koshirae : Sword mountings）. The Kaga Clan, which heavily protected crafts, applied the metalworking technique of "Kaga zogan" or Maki-e to "Tsuka(hilt)" or "Tsuba(handguard)" and other parts of the sword.
Mr. Masahisa Shijimaya is a 2nd dan in Iaido, which is said to have developed from swordsmanship created in the late Muromachi period of the 16th century. After viewing the Japanese sword, visitors will observe a powerful demonstration of Iaido. Visitors can also wear authentic Iaido garb for a special photo op’.
Pick up a real sword and take a look
A futokoro-gatana(dagger) with a "Maki-e" on the handle of the part to be held by the hand is truly a work of art.
A "futokoro-gatana" carried by a woman born into a samurai family when she married into a samurai family.
500-year-old "Kanemoto" made by a master craftsman
Pull out a replica sword and enjoy the feeling of a samurai.
Take a commemorative photo with Mr. Masahisa Shijimaya (far right)
Demonstration of Iaido techniques by the instructor
Demonstration of Iaido test cutting, a real sword, is used to cut the Tatami-omote. Tatami-omote is cut in half.
看到四十萬谷本舖的倉庫中~還保留著多把日本刀作為傳家之寶也,,真的好讚嘆哦
