Where were swords forged in Japan?
In the course of time, there were several provinces in Japan that were known for their blacksmiths and the good quality of the blade.
The swords created there, such as the katana and tachi, naturally fulfil all the expectations of a genuine Japanese sword. Some of them have even been classified as important cultural assets in Japan and may not be taken out of the country.
The map of Japan above shows the provinces where the typical Japanese katana and tachi were produced.
The provinces of Bitchu, Bizen, Bungo, Chikugo, Chizuken, Etchu, Hoki, Mino, Sagami, Yamashiro and Yamato are particularly well-known (in alphabetical order)
The cradles of the 5 famous sword schools of the Koto sword epoch are marked in red on the picture: Bizen, Mino, Sagami (Soshu), Yamashiro and Yamato.
If you would like to find out more about these schools and the samurai swords, you may be interested in our article on Nihonto.
You can find antique samurai weapons such as naginata, tanto and much more on our partner site japan-budo.com
Image source for the contribution picture: By Provinces_of_Japan-Sagami.svg: Ash_Crowderivative work: bamse (talk) - Provinces_of_Japan-Sagami.svg, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11005778https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11005778
