The second reason is based on the stories we’ve actually heard from a real katana swordsmith working in Kyoto. I still wouldn’t purchase one from an overseas site. みなさん、こんにちは！
And welcome to Let’s ask Shogo! As a Japanese katana trainee who has been training for more than 7 years now, I’ve made a lot of videos related to katana. So I often get many DMs through Instagram asking me, “Is this katana worth buying?” along with pictures of katana sold on the internet. Most katana that people send me pictures of are the “battle ready” ones sold on foreign sword websites, and every time I receive these questions, they trouble me. The reason is because, I personally would never buy a katana from such websites. By why wouldn’t I? So today, I will first explain about the legal definition of a katana in Japan. Then next, I will introduce the definition of a katana according to a katana swordsmith I actually met in Kyoto. By understanding these two points, you will clearly understand the answer to today’s main topic. I hope this video will be useful for anyone
who is hoping to buy a katana someday, both for ornamental and martial art training purposes. However before we move on, please understand that this is just one opinion from a Japanese katana trainee, and it’s not a representative opinion of any group. I struggled so much to make this video, because I don’t mean to deny the existence of any swords around the world. Every form of katana has a purpose as long as there is someone who needs them. However at the same time, there is an important message I want you to know. Should anyone feel uncomfortable about my opinion,
I apologize in advance. After watching this video, please let me know in the comments
about your opinions on how to buy a katana! In this channel, you can take a closer look at Japanese traditional culture, tips on traveling to Kyoto, and social problems in Japan. So learners and lovers of Japanese language and culture, be sure to subscribe to enjoy more content! それでは、本日も参りましょう！ Then let me start by explaining the first reason why
I would never buy katana from foreign websites that sell swords. The first reason is actually very simple: it’s because I legally cannot buy it. In Japan, a law called the "Swords and Firearms Control Law" strictly regulates the handling of weapons. Possession of blades that meet the following conditions is illegal, except when it is required in the course of one's professional duties: 1. Swords, spears, and naginata with blades of 15 cm or more in length 2. Swords with a blade of 5.5 cm or more in length, and flying knives with a blade that opens automatically at a 45-degree angle or more. Violating this law will have you imprisoned for up to two years or will cost you a fine of up to 300,000 yen. Wait, then how can anyone own a katana?! Although it would originally be illegal, only those for which a special "registration certificate" has been issued may be possessed by anyone as a piece of art. However, no matter how much we call it a piece of art, there is no doubt that katana were originally blades used to slash people. Therefore, the definition of a katana for which a certificate of registration can be issued is strictly defined by law for security reasons. On the flip side, any sword that exists outside of this definition and is not issued with a certificate is not a katana but merely a weapon, no matter how much it looks like a katana, and therefore cannot be owned legally. So a random person without a license cannot make a katana in his backyard, nor can you try to sharpen an iaito (zinc alloy training katana). Then, what are the circumstances of a katana by Japanese law? 1. Made from tamahagane steel 2. Fold forging and quenching are performed 3. Beautiful appearance, hamon waves, and metalwork are recognized as works of art 4. Traditional characteristics of each swordsmith style are clearly shown These four are just part of the condition, and there are much more. Tamahagane is traditional steel artificially created for making katana, and it is only made in very limited places in Japan today. Folding forging and quenching are typical production processes of through which the unique beauty such as the Jigane (layers of the hammered steel) and Hamon (waves patterns), are expressed. And since only qualified swordsmiths
possess these traditional sword-making techniques
that are a few centuries old, katana end up being very expensive. Unless you happen to get it at a very low price on an auction site, you will basically have to pay at least 200,000~300,000 yen. For example my katana that I use for my mat cutting training cost 650,000 yen, and asking a swordsmith to make a custom one for you usually will cost more than 1M yen. Like overseas katana shopping websites, it is nearly impossible to obtain a sharp katana
for as little as a few hundred dollars. You may feel that katana made in Japan are expensive, but I personally believe that it’s a necessary price for safety, and also to preserve the values of swordsmiths. However, I must make it clear here
that even if it were legal in Japan to purchase these swords, I still wouldn’t purchase one from an overseas site. Let me explain why in the next chapter. The second reason is based on the stories we’ve actually heard from a real katana swordsmith working in Kyoto. I asked him about his opinions on katana lookalike swords that are made overseas with non-traditional techniques. He told us about the definition of a katana that he believes in. According to him, there are there are three conditions for a sword to be called a katana. First, is that it is sharp and capable of cutting. No matter how much katana are considered a form of art today, if it cannot cut properly, it has lost its original purpose as a sword so it cannot be called a katana. Second, is that it’s beautiful. As I’ve explained earlier, the most attractive feature of katana is their beautiful appearance, including the jigane metal surface, hamon wave patterns, and sori curves. In other words, blades that are sharp but look awful, can not be called a katana either. So far, it may seem that the swords sold on oversea’s sales websites can also be called katana. The third reason, however, is the most overlooked
and at the same time the most important. It is whether the sword is deified or not. Since ancient times, the katana has been worshiped as an offering to the gods or as the gods themselves
which comes from Japan's polytheistic beliefs. That is why katana are created beautifully in workshops with Shinto altars and using traditional techniques as a sign of respect to those gods. The fact that so many katana with a history of hundreds of years have survived in such beautiful condition
is proof that people have treated them with courtesy and respect. In other words, it is not enough for a katana to function as a blade
and be a little beautiful along the way. It must function as a deity. The culture of worshiping the katana can also be found in modern martial arts that handle katana, such as iaido, through the "刀礼 Tōrei (katana bow)" that is performed towards the katana. Now, the question that arises is, "How can katana be deified?” What is the difference between a katana that is seen as a god and one that is not? As an analogy, the swordsmith told us about the omamori good luck charms, which can be bought at Shinto shrines. A charm sold by a shrine maiden at a shrine you did your prayers at with your friends, and a charm handed to you at the factory where it was just made are exactly the same. But can you actually see these two charms as exactly the same? Maybe the analogy of a shinto charm is difficult to understand, so let’s change the topic to marriage rings. Even if the rings are exactly the same, there is a difference between a ring that you spent hours in a store talking with a sales clerk to select and buy, and a ring that you just picked up off the street. lol In other words, if the katana was made by a swordsmith who overcame rigorous training and won the certification, there is a guarantee that it was made using traditional techniques with the purpose of creating a sacred item. As I’ve explained earlier, the meaning of the katana as a deity is very important even when learning techniques
to actually use the katana as a weapon, such as iaido. Because what we really need to learn through iaido today is not the skill to cut people, but to treat things with care and to learn modesty through our attitudes towards the katana. To practice with a katana which cannot be respected as a god, is to miss the most important aspect of what should be learned through the training of swordsmanship. There are many Japanese YouTubers too who use katana to cut meat, destroy objects, or leave them to rust and break without performing the proper It is very unfortunate that even though this "divine" element of the katana has originally fascinated the world, this spirit is being lost in Japan as well. But once again, there is something that I don’t want anyone to misunderstand. I don’t mean to deny the existence of katana with only the first two conditions. Even in Japanese history, there were probably many people who treated the katana only as a weapon, which I totally understand. I also don’t mean that you must be in Japan or be Japanese to make katana either. There are many wonderful licensed or in training swordsmiths who are originally from a different country. What I talked about in this video is just my personal opinions as a katana trainee in Japan, and I’m only answering because there are many people who ask my ideas on this topic. I am proud of the fact that the katana itself is loved
and sought by people around the world. Lastly, today’s conclusion! There are two main reasons why I don’t (cannot) buy katana from overseas online sword shops. First, because it would be illegal in Japan due to the Firearms Law. Only swords with special registered certificates are considered katana, and anything that omits the following conditions are considered to be mere weapons. 1. Made from tamahagane steel 2. Fold forging and quenching are performed 3. Beautiful appearance, hamon waves, and metalwork are recognized as works of art 4. Traditional characteristics of each swordsmith style are clearly shown Second, according to a katana swordsmith we met in Kyoto, a katana needs to have the following three requirements: 1. Sharpness
2. Beauty
3. Divinity The third reason is the most overlooked and at the same time the most important one. If the katana was made by a swordsmith who overcame rigorous training and won the certification, there is a guarantee that it was carefully made using traditional techniques. You may feel such katana are expensive, but I personally believe that it’s a necessary price for safety, and also to preserve the values of swordsmiths and their katana. So that's it for today! Thank you very much for watching! Please hit the like button to help me boost this video! please check out my sub-channel "Shogo's Podcast" through the link in the description box below.
(Also please check out our sub-channel and membership in the description box!) Thanks again, and I'll see you again soon. ありがとうございました。
