An Amazing Day with Swordsmith Kanefusa-san in Seki Japan

[kauai1800]

Aloha,

 

I wanted to share with the forum the experience that has basically led me here...

 

A little background: I own a small watch company here in Hawaii and as part of my work I became very interested in making a timepiece using Damascus stainless steel. As part of the research into those prototypes I learned a bit about steel structure, effects of carbon, hardening, hand forging, etc. This work also led me into the world of nihonto and Japanese katana making, which I found fascinating. So when I was planning a family trip to Japan for March 2012, it was a priority to see some real nihonto and try to visit the town of Seki, where I knew there was a nice katana musuem and also was a center for commercial knifemaking.

 

Here's a link to the museum...

 

http://www.kanetsune.com/index.php?id=172

 

Unfortunately, as I scheduled my trip, I realized that we could only visit Seki on a Saturday - when my friend who lives there said most of the commercial knifemaking factories were closed. Bummer. I remember telling my son, "Well, sometimes when you think something's not going to work out, it works out even better than you ever thought."...but still I was disappointed.

However a few days before we were supposed to visit, my friend in Seki emailed and said that our luck had turned very good and that he had arranged to visit a real local katana maker. WOW!

 

Once we got to Seki, my friend met us and together we visited the museum and had some awesome udon. Then it was time to go to Kanefusa-san's studio. It was located alongside a nice house outside of town a couple miles. My friend had explained that Kanefusa was 25th Generation swordsmith, and was an official Japanese Living Treasure. His son, 26th Gen Kanefusa was also there with one additional assistant.

 

As most of you know, generally they do much of this work at night, so it was a special treat for them to fire up the forge in the middle of the day for a small group of gaijin (foreigners). Even my small kids 9 & 5 were allowed - this is exceptional hospitality. With my friend interpreting, Kanefusa showed us the tamahagine starting materials, then an example of the individual steps that are so well-known by forum members here. He showed a blade that was ready for heat treatment with his characteristic clay layer applied to make the hamon associated with his work.

 

Then he did something which I felt was very gracious - he gave everyone a chance to hammer on the red-hot steel. How cool. I can imagine that perhaps he might have felt it a bit "Disneyworld-ish" to allow us to come into what is basically a sacred space and "play" with his forge...even my son got to take a swing. All I can say is I bowed very very deeply to him afterwards.

 

As a final act of trust, Kanefusa-san brought out one of his newly completed katana and allowed us to hold it - again even my 9 year old son. (My son is pretty chill for a 9 yo though). Wow, to see his work up close, feel the sword's lightness and even poetry - it was simply amazing.

 

But wait - the most amazing thing yet is about to happen.....

 

After he sheathed the katana, he brought out a small tanto to show the engraving work he and his son do. This tanto was spectacular - engraved with delicate ume (plum) flowers.

 

Suddenly, my wife, who has pretty much been just quietly taking all this in, looks at me and mouths the words "Let's get it".

 

Huh?... Wha?

My head was kinda spinning...

Is my wife suggesting we buy a tanto? Really? This one? Right now?

 

I pull her aside and we have a chat about the potential price, our already over-budget trip to Japan, our ability to send our kids to college, etc... :D

 

Still she says, "I want it! Let's get it."

 

Now it is very clear why I married her! :lol:

 

I figure we can find some way to pay for it later, but the chance to buy a real nihonto from its maker is something that won't happen to us again - probably ever. So we talk some specifics about price, the need to have a saya made, transferring it to the US, etc. and we made the deal right then and there. Soon we left, again bowing deeply and communicating our respect and appreciation.

The tanto currently is still in Japan being completed and should be ready in a few more weeks.

 

-And that's why I'm here!-

To learn, to share the little I know, and to gain appreciation.

I do have a few questions though...

 

Is it proper for me to ask for the original shirasaya in addition to the newly made black lacquer saya? It seems like this would be a useful thing to have.

 

We should be getting the NTHK paperwork with the tanto - is there anything else I should ask for? Would it be proper for him to include a tracing of the blade with his mei? Anything like that? His own special oil?

Maybe a small piece of tamahagine?

I want to ask for the right things without asking for anything improper.

...kinda like "what would you do if you were me?" type thing.

 

Also should I send Kanefusa-san a gift of any sort? Or have my friend in Seki buy him a bottle of sake? Gift giving is very important in Japanese culture and I do not want to offend.

 

Is Fedex the best way to ship it from Japan to Hawaii? I saw the thread about getting the rayskin cleared by USFW - I've shipped rayskin watch straps Fedex before so I am familiar with the hassles. Is there any other paperwork needed on the US side?

 

Of course I'll have lots more questions about care, understanding the hamon, etc once the tanto arrives, but for now, I'll post 4-5 photos from that special day. I am lucky to live only one island away from Ken and the Japanese Sword Society of Hawaii, and plan to connect with them to learn all I can.

 

I'll try and make a nice slideshow with more photos and maybe some video in the next week or so and link to it from this thread.

In the pics you'll see the tanto with 26th Gen Kanefusa holding it. I have more photos of it to post later...

 

Thus is the tale of a newbie who got lucky. After we had left, I asked my friend who has lived in Seki for 50 years how many times he had visited Kanefusa's studio in the past - his answer "Never before - I've only seen the exhibition at the museum". That made it clear just how lucky we had been.

 

Thanks for taking the time to read this post and I appreciate any information you can pass along.

Cheers,

John P.

[John A Stuart]

Yes, a great day, that's what its all about. John

[Ken-Hawaii]

Aloha auinala, John:

 

Glad there's another Nihonto-admirer here in Hawaii. And congrats for being able to get an up-close & personal view of the tosho process.

 

My wife & I depart for Osaka on Monday to visit the Bizen-Osafune area where they've been making swords for almost 1000 years. I hope we're lucky enough to get the same experience! And mahalo for posting those great photos!

 

Ken

[kauai1800]

Thanks John!

 

And thank you too Ken.

You guys have a great time in Osaka and eat some okonomiyaki for me! :D

There were some killer airfares for Golden Week...looks like you got some!

 

I am 99% sure you know about this, but here's the link to the place in Bizan-Osefune...

http://www.city.setouchi.lg.jp/~osa-tok ... /index.htm

 

It's funny because usually after I go someplace I'm a bit "over" it - however with Japan I just want to go back again already. I've got my Hawaiian Airline "Fare Alerts" all set.

 

Glad for the JSSH! Look forward to coming over and attending a meeting and meeting you and the other members sometime later this summer.

 

Cheers - John P

[Ken-Hawaii]

That's exactly where we're headed, John. Another NMB member, Piers Dowding, has agreed to meet us at the Shinkansen station in Okayama & bring us to the museum, which is particularly exciting as he knows the curator. The next day, we'll head back to Osaka & try to find a sword shop that's open during Golden Week.

 

Yes, we definitely got one of those $198 round-trip fares, but we only have two full days on the ground, so we'll be running non-stop. Hope they do this again next year so we'll be better prepared.

 

I'm looking forward to welcoming you to our JSSH meeting when you are on Oahu; I've changed our schedule so we now meet on the first Sunday of every month. Hope you've checked out our new (but unfinished) Web-site at http://jssh.org.

 

Ken

[Brian]

John,

Well done, and thanks for sharing. Sounds like an amazing time. You look to have purchased a beautiful tanto there.

Can only give my own opinion about some of your questions:

Shirasaya is the way to go, always. If you choose to have other fittings made for it, that is separate, but it should be supplied in a plain wood shirasaya at least.

A new tanto wouldn't get NTHK origami, as you know who made it. There are no "papers" issued by any shinsa organization for swords made by living smiths.

You can ask for a full length oshigata, if he offers that.

I wouldn't worry about asking for oil or maintenance supplies, as Bob Benson in Hawaii offers high quality items for this. Giving a piece of Tamahagane isn't common, and I wouldn't go that route.

As for Fedex, some people use them, but I find them expensive and no more reliable than EMS (as long as you have direct flights)

I would just use USPS EMS, but that is me.

As for a gift, I personally would arrange for one, as what he offered you was out of the norm and very accommodating.

 

Regards,

Brian

[kauai1800]

Ken: Wow, the $198 fares were not mythical after all! Have a blast. That's gonna be the hookup knowing the curator.

 

Brian: Thanks for all this great information - this is exactly what I needed. The 'discussions' occurred in Japanese and quite quickly - things like papers etc were mentioned but not exactly clear what was being said...looking back, I think someone said, "no you will not get papers because none are needed". Your statement clarifies this.

Also I can see from what you say that the fancy saya etc are more like decorations than I realized.

And I will now definitely send gifts to he and his son.

 

My guess is that Kanefusa-san was taken a bit off-guard by us asking to purchase the tanto, as no mention of anything like this was made prior to our visit. There was a bit of a hush in the air after we asked, but then he seemed agreeable. My friend did mention several times that we were getting something special and that usually one must wait months or even years for a blade from this forge. I'll try to learn more about the history of this tanto if I can - why it was made, etc.

 

Again thanks guys and if anyone has more to add, I welcome it.

 

-John P.

[hybridfiat]

You were very fortunate John I envy you especially your choice of spouse :D

A small piffilling point, the presentation of a gift is very important to the Japanese, that is the way it is wrapped or packaged. We've had some amazing gifts from our exchange students and they explained that the way it is presented is nearly as important as its content.

[kauai1800]

Aloha Hybrid,

 

Thanks for that good advice. Even in the kombini (aka 7-11) there was a whole aisle of gift wrap and ornately knotted bows - so you are spot on.

 

When we visited Japan we brought along a bag of goodies from Hawaii and made up gift bags for everyone we met and spent time with. Sure enough each of them had small gifts for us (beautifully wrapped) and had we not had something to give, we would've felt bad.

One thing I've learned is to give gifts that don't take up space - things like food/booze are perfect. Mac nuts, kona coffee, red Hawaiian salt are some of the gifts we brought and they seemed well-received. I've heard that frequently neighbors will give things like toilet paper and laundry detergent as housewarming gifts- its viewed as very practical thus a nice gesture..I kinda like that!

John P

[Ken-Hawaii]

John is absolutely right that here in Hawaii, we have a whole array of small gifts to bring when we visit. Linda & I are bringing chocolate-covered macadamia nuts, Kona coffee, & kukui nut lei. As our trip is so short, we're carrying only backpacks, which doesn't leave much room for gift-packaging materials, so we simply use furoshiki wraps. John, if you haven't discovered furoshiki, take a look at http://furoshiki.com/techniques/. Any pretty, vaguely square cloth will work, & that way we don't have to try to get those pretty ribbons positioned just right. Heck, even I can manage to make a gift look pretty darn good!

 

Ken

[Lindus]

I have been a fan of the Kanefusa for some while,once owned a first generation and now a katana & Tanto by the 23rd gen:, feel they are underated as modern swordsmiths....disscuss

 

Roy

[cabowen]

The 23rd generation would be rated much higher if he would have made gendaito instead of mountains of showato during the war.....

[Lindus]

OOOOOOOOOOps meant 25th generation, but guess that would have brought the same reply.....Tanto?

 

Just a thought on some Showa war period swords, have seen blades by minor smiths,Kiyonobu/Nagamitsu et al who seem when asked to make their best work have produced pretty good gendai.

 

So how bad were his Showa works....??

Roy

[drbvac]

23 rd was pretty good as far as I am concerned - already discussed the showa stamp but

 

 

 

[Lindus]

Great horimono Bian, easy put down on the line, some fine work by 23/25 gen and even if not by certain standards bloody nice blades.... :lol:

 

Roy

[CurtisR]

Awesome to all - and what an experience!

 

 

Curtis R.

[kauai1800]

Thanks for all the comments. (I reckon Ken is in Japan right about now taking in all the sights and flavors...lucky guy).

 

Roy - It's interesting what you say about Kanefusa 25th - I could gather that he's not the top top smith in Japan, but then being a newbie, I wonder how someone with such a long history of swordmaking wouldn't be practically #1. Based on what you guys are saying it has to do with his family's making of machine-made swords during WW2? Have I got that right? I find that interesting because something like that wouldn't effect my (uneducated) opinion one bit, especially when one considers that during war firms are often asked to make things they'd prefer not to or use methods they don't like - for the greater good..

I find it much more fascinating that he can trace his family's craft back 700+ years. He seems about as legit as you can get. Are there lots of other smiths with such a long continuous lineage still at work?

 

ps the engraving of that dragon is sensational!

 

Here's a link to some more photos and one short video taken that day...enjoy!:

https://picasaweb.google.com/1103604514 ... directlink

[cabowen]

There is something magical about being in a smith's forge and watching a blade take shape- glad you were able to experience that first hand....

 

Many smiths claim to be descendant from famous swordsmiths of old. For some, it is a clearer connection then others. Since there are no 22nd, 21st, 20th, etc., generational swordsmiths signing Kanefusa, it must be the case that Kanefusa 23 is stating he is a descendant, not a smith in a direct line.

 

To clarify my earlier comment regarding gunto manufacture: many smiths made traditionally made swords during the war and have reputations based on their body of work. Kanefusa 23, like 200+ other Seki workman, produced mostly non-traditional, nondescript weapons for the army. He left nearly nothing to distinguish himself as a talented, traditional smith. I have seen some of his post war work and it was quite good. The problem is he produced very little in comparison post war and most will tend to judge him as just another Seki showa-to maker because that is what most people are familiar with.

 

And while I have seen nothing but good work from the modern Kanefusa line, I would be remiss if I failed to mention that none of them have been awarded the title of National Treasure...

 

Again, congratulations on your acquisition and experiences....

[kauai1800]

Mahalo for that Chris. Got some presents to send Kanefusa 25 & 26.

 

I was going to ask about putting our name on the nagako, but my wife prefers we don't do that.