Connoisseur's Book Japanese Swords is a Kodansha International publication.

I now complete the series with the ,,Nihon-shinshinto-shi", the history of the shinshinto era of Japanese swords, starting from Suishinshi Masahide ́s initiation of a new trend around An ́ei (1772-1781) to the ban on swords issued by the Meiji government in 1876. As with the ,,Nihon-koto-shi" and the ,,Nihon-shinto-shi", the reader should be able to grasp a coherent picture of the backgrounds and scholastic activities around the Japanese sword at the end of the feudal era. Finally, the time scale must not be overlooked: The ,,Nihon-koto-shi" had to deal with roughly 800 years, from the Nara to the end of the Muromachi period, and the ,,Nihon-shinto-shi" comprised ,,just" about 200 years, whereas the shinshinto era lasted only about a century.

Japanese Swords from American Collections is the first volume of an ongoing series. This effort aims to catalog some of the many swords here in the United States and share them with the world. There are 43 blades featured in this volume. Works span from the Kamakura period up to the 1940's. This book is richly illustrated with over 80 high resolution images, many of winch are full-page composites of multiple photographs. The photography in this book presents the opportunity to study jigane and hataraki in combination with detailed text explanations, creating an excellent learning resource. Those who are new to the study of Japanese Swords will find this to be an exciting introduction to the variety, wonder and beauty of Nihonto. Seasoned students of sword study will look to this series as highly useful research reference. Lastly, this series hopes to convey the typical nature and level of private collections among life-long enthusiasts here in the United States.

In the last years and decades several publications and translations on the subject of the Japanese Sword have been published in the West. In this way, the historical background, the characteristics of the blades, smiths, and schools, as well as the art of sword forging, and the sword fittings were introduced and explained. The aim of this publication is now to bring the reader closer to the role the Japanese sword - the nihont - played in the warrior class and the Japanese society, namely by the means of legends, stories, and anecdotes on famous swords and their swordsmiths, embedded in an explanation of the background and other relevant facts. In the end, the reader should have an idea about the high value that was placed on this proverbial legendary weapon that span than a thousand years of Japanese history (and even still today as an object of art). The aim was to obtain a balance between easy access for beginners and detailed facts for confirmed enthusiasts.

From raw steel to tempered blade, this text presents a visual account of thencient craft of swordmaking as practiced in modern Japan.

This completely new encyclopedic reference for the Japanese sword contains about 2,500 entries, many of them illustrated by photos and drawings. The Encyclopedia of Japanese Swords is an A-Z general encyclopedia covering each and every part of the sword: the blade, the mountings, the fittings, and all their different interpretations. Further, this encyclopedia also explains the literal or etymological meaning of each Japanese term and provides an even deeper insight into the subject.

The first book to present the amazing swords and armor belonging to the most famous Samurai in Japanese history! In Japanese Swords and Armor, Samurai sword expert Paul Martin presents scores of magnificent blades, fittings and armor from the 12th to the 20th centuries which belonged to thirty of the most famous warriors and leaders in Japanese history including: A wooden sword commissioned and owned by Miyamoto Musashi, Japan's greatest swordsman; an exact replica of the sword he wielded at the legendary duel on Ganryu-jima Island The tachi blade worn by Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate and the powerful unifier of Japan—which was later presented to the Meiji Emperor The katchu (armor) belonging to Minamoto no Yoshitsune, hero of the Genpei Wars and later gifted as a votive offering to the Kasuga Shrine in Nara The naginata (halberd) said to be the favored weapon of Tomoe Gozen, Japan's famous female Samurai, that was immortalized in the classic book Tale of the Heike And many more! These masterful works of art are presented in 200 stunning color photos including eight double gatefolds. Many of these objects, which rival the greatest military artifacts found anywhere, are designated national treasures or important cultural properties by the Japanese government and reflect their importance to the Samurai, their culture, and to the nation and people of Japan.

A Book of Five Swords and a Scroll, is about five Japanese swords that came to the United States after W.W.II and a Japanese hanging scroll of a 'Seated Samurai. The book is richly illustrated with over 110 photographs of these swords, map segments, and other associated materials. There are three original short stories centered around three of the swords. The book also contains sections regarding Medieval Japan, the Samurai, Japanese Sword Smiths, and Japanese Sword Care and Cleaning; Detail Technical Data of these swords is included, and there is a short biography of artist of the scroll. The chapter about the scroll, regards a person famous in 14th Century Japanese History. Two of these swords are over 450 years old. n addition there is a short biography of a unique US Marine that fought at Wake Island, Dec 8, 1941 - Dec 23, 1941 in WWII and taken as a Prisiner Of War by the Japanese. He spent a total of 1350 Days as a POW in Camps in China and Japan. This version of the book is in Color.

With over 300 stunning photographs and woodblock prints along with extensive historical and cultural commentary, Japanese Swords is the ultimate authority on Samurai weaponry. Historically, Japanese warriors considered their swords to be far greater than simple weaponry. Their swords were both lethal tools and divine companions -- social and religious icons. Traditionally worn by the samurai as a sign of social status, the Japanese sword represented the junction between the reigning military class and those whom they ruled. Moreover, the samurai sword was a technological and artistic marvel. Many scholars consider it to be the finest sword ever constructed. In terms of symbolism and historical importance, no other blade comes close to the Japanese sword. With a historical, iconographical, and technological perspective, author Cohn M. Roach provides an in-depth study of these magnificent weapons in Japanese Swords. This richly illustrated sword book weaves the blade's primary influences together, tracking its history and illuminating its progress from infancy to grandeur. By studying the evolution of the Japanese sword from this perspective, we better understand Japan and its warrior archetype. Combining research materials from multiple disciplines, Roach uses his expertise as an educator to guide readers through the sword's rise to greatness in a unique way. This book discusses the history, development, and spiritual symbolism of the sword, as well as the esoteric metallurgical techniques used in making it. It also covers the difficult training practices used by skilled swordsmen. Japanese Swords also includes a companion video content featuring a beautifully-filmed documentary that explores the traditional swordmaker's craft. The video content also contains an introduction to the Japanese sword at a sword shop in Kyoto and a visit to a dojo for a beginner's class in the medieval sword-drawing art called iaido.

New Generation of Japanese Swordsmiths is a Kodansha International publication.