The making of Japanese swords is an important
cultural treasure of Japan, a gift descended
from the ancestors. In the words of Yanagita
sensei , "When I see a Japanese sword,
the history and spirit of the samurai well
up inside of me and I realize that the sword
is sacred.
According to makimono ( ancient scrolls
) there is a more than one thousand
year old legacy of Japanese swordmaking.
At its height there were some
20,000 - 30,000 swordmakers concentrated
in these following five schools
: Yamashiro school . Yamato school Soushuu
school . Bizen school and Mino
school . Every sword produced during that
time period belonged to one of
these traditions.
Yanagita sensei began studying sword burnishing
in his freshman year of junior high school
( 7th grade ) , In September, 1972, he received
his menkyo kaiden ( a certificate of full
proficiency in an art ) for sword making
from the Agency for Cultural Affairs .
When he opened the museum, it was like
his dream had come true.
Yanagita sensei is sure that if people
who like swords come to his museum,
they will be moved by his collection.
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