Why Japanese Swords Are So Expensive | So Expensive

- [Narrator] Japanese sword making is a tradition that goes back centuries, and one that's carried on to this day. Each sword requires dedication, skill, and can take over 18 months to create. The resulting blades can be worth thousands of dollars. So, what makes them so expensive? Master Akihira has been making swords for 21 years. He was inspired by a sword crafted by the legendary 13th century swordsmith Masamune. And after a five-year apprenticeship, and years of training, he became one of the 180 swordsmiths working across Japan. Japanese swords have always been more than just weapons. They were artworks, status symbols, and throughout history, held a huge spiritual importance. Each sword is a unique artwork, and one that is made to be admired as you would a painting. As sheets of steel are folded into each other again and again, wood-grain-like patterns form, and these patterns, coupled with the skill of the sword master create a completely unique blade. Knowing what to look for in each sword is important. Characteristics like the angle and length of the blade, or the way the metal is folded, could give away the era in which it was made, and even who made it. Looking at the months of work that go in to creating each blade, it's easy to see why these swords command such a high price. And as there are less and less sword masters across Japan, these works or art are only going to become more valuable.

Channel: Insider Business

Views: 11,585,816

Keywords: Business News, So Expensive, swords, UK, swordmaster, Video, Business Insider, Japanese culture, swordsmith, Original, Japanese Swords, sword-making, Japan, Tokyo, Japanese sword-making

Id: 767UcLMZTbo

Length: 5min 38sec (338 seconds)

Published: Sat Oct 12 2019

Reddit Comments

[u/wiceo]

There was another video that got popular on Reddit, recently, where a guy was picking up iron from beach sand using a magnet on a stick. Somebody in the comments said that method is how a lot of iron was/is collected in Japan since there aren't many natural iron deposits there. They went onto say that iron from sand contains a lot of impurities and that's why swordsmiths fold the metal so many times, because the folding method helps rid the metal of impurities.

[u/Mikophoto]

This whole series of So Expensive in Japan is great. The kimono episode is awesome, particularly the different styles of applying dye/paint.

[u/NTGenericus]

TIL that katana is pronounced kata-na and not ka-tana

[u/CreamyCumSatchel]

What a great video I could literally sit and watch them make a sword all day.. very relaxing for some reason. Thanks for the post.

[u/soaringEagle1914]

incredible work. I’d like to own a masterpiece one day for my shelf, maybe even use it

[u/Gordo984]

Because everything is expensive