Bizen Osafune Sword Village
Bizen Osafune Sword Museum

Located in Osafune, Setouchi City, Okayama Prefecture, a region famed since the Kamakura period for producing Japanese swords, the Bizen Osafune Sword Museum is a rare museum dedicated exclusively to swords. The museum showcases around 40 sword masterpieces, with a primary focus on Bizen-style blades, and regularly holds special exhibitions.

The museum's information corner utilizes digital technology, featuring valuable video presentations on traditional sword-making and a touch-panel viewer for detailed exploration of the national treasure, the Tachi Sword (Yamatorige, unsigned, Ichimonji). Visitors can learn about the history of Japanese swords, detailed terminology, and historical context.

Spend a little extra time here at the traditional swordsmith workshop, enjoying the rare chance to see the ancient ways of sword forging, sword fitting production, blade carving, and polishing. The museum hosts a popular demonstration called "Public Traditional Forging" on the second Sunday of every month, offering visitors the exciting opportunity to watch swordsmiths heat and shape Tamahagane steel at temperatures reaching 1,200–1,300°C. This event attracts sword enthusiasts from Japan and around the world.

For hands-on activities try showing up for a craftsmen demonstration, small knife-making workshops, or sword maintenance classes.

Other facilities within the complex include the Bizen Osafune Sword Workshop, the local product center (Fureai Bussan-kan), and a training hall, providing comprehensive insights into the history and craft of Japanese swords.