The Art of the Japanese Sword - Yoshindo Yoshihara

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cut well, and it is well designed for that. It is usually single edged, and is very slender and graceful, with some curvature. In addition, a well-made Japanese sword also feels well-balanced and very comfortable in the hands.

      The steel on the surface of a Japanese sword (the jigane) has a definite color and texture. As the steel has a rather dark appearance, a good polish is required to bring out the details. In examining a well-made and well-polished sword, a clear color and fine texture can usually be seen. In addition, there is usually a distinct surface pattern that results from the repeated folding of the steel during forging. This pattern, which is called the “jihada,” will vary from sword to sword depending on exactly how the smith made the steel for a particular sword, and on what kind of steel he used. The surface texture, color, and jihada are all features that should be carefully observed when evaluating a sword.

      The appreciation of a Japanese sword also encompasses the properties inherent to the steel itself; that is, the different forms of steel and crystalline structures in the steel. When looking at Western swords, in contrast, the hilt, engraving, and other embellishments can be an integral part of the sword, and are considered alongside the blade itself when evaluating the sword. In this respect, appreciating and evaluating a Japanese sword is different from appraising other swords or edged weapons. Japanese swords are examined and appraised by looking only at the bare, unmounted blade.

      JIHADA PATTERNS

      The process of repeatedly hammering out and folding the steel over onto itself produces a pattern, or jihada, in the steel surface. Jihada can vary extensively due to differences in the forging techniques of different swordsmiths. A sword must also have a very good polish for these patterns to become easily discernible. The patterns shown here can be seen on swords from different smiths of various historical periods.

      MASAME HADA 柾目肌

       This is a straight pattern.

      ITAME HADA 板目肌

       This pattern resembles wood grain.

      MOKUME HADA 杢目肌

       This is a very fine pattern with many visible circular motifs.

      NASHI-JI HADA 梨子地肌

       This type of pattern is very fine and difficult to see.

      NIOI AND NIE

      The hamon of the Japanese sword is formed when the cutting edge is selectively hardened and the body of the sword remains relatively soft. This means that there are two types of steel in a typical Japanese sword: the harder steel in the edge area (the ha), and the softer steel in the body of the sword (the ji). Where these two types of steel come together and mix, a clear visible boundary is formed between them. This boundary usually appears as a line composed of very tiny crystalline particles called “nioi.” The individual particles forming the line are too small to be resolved by the eye, and the resulting line appears continuous and unbroken. The nioi line is usually white, and clearly separates the hamon from the ji. Sometimes the boundary is composed of larger particles called “nie.” This is the same as nioi, but the individual nie particles are large enough to be clearly seen by eye. Many hamon are composed of nioi, but also contain some nie particles. If the nie particles are visible in the ji above the hamon, they are called “ji nie.” The exact appearance and composition of the nioi and nie lines and particles depend on what the swordsmith does, the steel he uses, and the details of how he performs yaki-ire.

      A hamon with a very complex nioi line. The clear white line defining the hamon boundary is composed of microscopic nioi particles.

      A hamon containing nioi and many nie particles. Many distinct nie particles can be seen in the white area of the hamon, and discrete nie particles can be seen just inside the hamon area. Nie particles can sometimes be seen in the body of the sword as well; here, large clear nie particles (ji nie) are visible above the hamon, up to and above the shinogi.

      Above the hamon, the steel shows a white appearance. This effect is called “utsuri.”

      Japanese swords are mounted in one of two ways: they can be preserved or protected in a simple unfinished wooden scabbard called a “shirasaya,” or in a koshirae, a functional traditional mounting that includes a lacquered scabbard, sword guard, other metal components, and a braided hilt wrapping.

      When new swords are made today, the smith usually has them put into a custom-made shirasaya. If the owner wants a traditional practical koshirae, it must be commissioned from another group of sword craftsmen after the smith has finished his work. Most old Japanese swords seen in the West today are mounted in shirasaya because their koshirae have deteriorated over the years. Older swords must be re-polished periodically; when this is done they can then be mounted in new shirasaya to protect the newly polished blade. Thus, most of the Japanese swords one sees today will be in shirasaya.

      Shown at left is a complete practical and functional mounting, or koshirae. This includes a lacquered scabbard, a braided hilt wrapping, and a sword guard (tsuba), as well as other metal components.

      At right is a simple shirasaya. This unadorned, unfinished wood scabbard is not suitable for practical use of the sword. The writing on the shirasaya, called “saya-gaki,” is an inscription added by the owner or maker of the sword. The saya-gaki contains information such as the sword’s maker, its length, the date it was made, and the owner’s name.

      KOSHIRAE COMPONENTS

      TSUBA: SWORD GUARDS

      1. A simple iron tsuba from the Muromachi period with carved and inlaid skull and bone images. This is signed by Kaneie, one of the earliest smiths to use decoration on his tsuba.

      2. An iron tsuba made by a smith in the Muromachi period. The simple iron plate is decorated with the carved outline of a dragonfly.

      3. An elaborately carved tsuba from the Edo period showing the outline of a crane.

      4. An iron tsuba decorated with images of gods and a kabuto (helmet). The images are carved out of the iron body of the tsuba in very good detail, and gold leaf is used for color in places. This was made during the Edo period.

      5. A copper tsuba with a silver rim made in the Momoyama period. This tsuba has colored metal in its body and rim, and is decorated with punch

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