My hometown - Kamakura and the Soshu tradition

[Toryu2020]

Lots of chatter lately about Kamakura - we should not neglect to note our own Robert Hughes and the dapper Hisashi Saito recently toured " the old capital" and made a terrific video record of their visit. Please view and share liberally...

 

 

[Keichodo]

Thanks Tom! You know how shy I am..... until the liquid courage kicks in.....

[Toryu2020]

Question for you Bobby -

I think it was Watanabe Sensei of the Sanno Bijutsukan who suggested that for a swordsmith to pick up his tools and livelyhood and move to Kamakura and then back to his hometown during the chaos of the Namboku-cho period just does not make sense. What if the Masamune jutetsu never travelled outside their home. Rather it was the armies of the Ashikaga bringing Soshu-den blades with them as they fought to establish control over the country. Afteall what does an army in the field need? Someone to repair or re-polish my blade, who better than the local craftsman with a reputation for quality? What if Soshu swordsmiths travelled with the army, as they did in later periods, and thus imparted the secrets of Soshu to local smiths "in the field" as it were?

 

-t