Month: January 2018

                       The circle represents the time we discuss in this section

GENKO 元寇  (1274 and 1281)

Kublai Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan, attempted to invade Japan twice, in 1274 and 1281.  Both times, a powerful typhoon struck Japan.  The Mongols sent a large number of soldiers, along with all kinds of supplies, on numerous ships to Japan.  These ships had to stay very close to each other, side by side, front and back, in the limited offshore area of Kyushu.  When the strong winds arrived, the ships swayed, hit each other, and capsized.  Many people fell into the ocean, drowned, and lost supplies in the water.

Although Mongol soldiers landed and fought against the Japanese army, they had little choice but to leave Japan because of a typhoon and shipwreck.   As a result of this strong wind, Japan was saved, and it seemed like Japan had won.  This was when the famous Japanese word “kamikaze” (divine wind) was created.

The Mongols had far superior weapons compared to the Japanese.  They had guns, which the Japanese did not.  Their group fighting was far more effective than the Japanese one-on-one combat style.

After the Mongolian invasion, it became clear that the Ikubi-kissaki style sword needed to change.  When swords were used in battle, the area most frequently damaged was the kissaki.  Japanese soldiers primarily used ikubi-kissaki swords in this war.  An ikubi-kissaki tachi has a short kissaki.  When a damaged area of the kissaki is whetted out, the top part of the yakiba (tempered area) disappears, and the hi (a groove) rises too high into the boshi area (the top triangle-like area).  The short ikubi-kissaki becomes even shorter, and the hi rises too high into the boshi area.  Aesthetically, this looks unattractive.  Functionally, it does not work well.  To compensate for this flaw, a new style started to emerge in the latter part of the Kamakura period.

During the latter part of the Kamakura period, swordsmiths started to create a new style to address this flaw.  Additionally, pride and confidence grew among people after driving the Mongols away, which was reflected in the swords’ appearance.  Generally speaking, the hamon and the shape of the sword became stronger and more showy.

The Kamakura area prospered under the Hojo family’s rule.  Many swordsmiths moved to Kamakura from Bizen, Kyoto, and other regions during this time and developed a new style.  This marks the beginning of the Soshu–den (Soshu is the Kanagawa area today).  Many famous top swordsmiths appeared during this time.

One of the famous swordsmiths is Goro-nyudo Masamune (五郎入道正宗).  You can easily visit Masamune’s tomb in Kamakura.  It is located at Honkaku-Ji Temple, about a five to six-minute walk from the Kamakura train station. 

While I was attending Mori Sensei’s (teacher) sword study group, one of the students I studied with was a twenty-fourth-generation descendant of Masamune.   Although he does not carry the Masamune name, he has been making wonderful swords in Kamakura.  He also makes high-quality kitchen knives.  The name of his shop is “Masamune Kogei (正宗工芸),” and it is a short walk from Kamakura Station.  To find his shop, ask at the information center at the train station.

         May 2019   Mr. Tsunahiro Yamamura and I                    Honkaku-Ji Temple