Sword masters forge a bond with 'Evangelion' anime
August 24, 2013
By TAKAYUKI KOZAKI/ Staff Writer
FUKUOKA--Traditional Japanese swordsmiths have turned to a popular anime in hopes of revitalizing their flailing industry.
"Evangelion and Japanese Swords," an exhibition tour devoted to replicas of weapons featured in the "Evangelion" animated series, has attracted more than 200,000 visitors since its first leg kicked off in Okayama Prefecture last summer.
The master craftsmen created swords and other blades modeled after ones in the fictitious story with the same devotion as they would for authentic Japanese swords.
The Fukuoka leg of the exhibition tour, which closed in June, drew about 20,000 visitors.
Once inside the venue, a hall in the Tenjin district of the city's Chuo Ward, visitors felt as if they wandered into the imaginary world of "Evangelion." The glistening swords looked like cutting-edge items from the future. A life-size statue of the anime’s heroine, Rei Ayanami, stood before an extraordinary large and shiny blade that could just as easily have been worn by a samurai serving the Kamakura Shogunate in the 12th to 14th centuries.
Although regular Japanese sword exhibitions are mostly attended by men, a noticeable number of the event’s visitors were young women.
"This is my first time for me to see real swords," said a 28-year-old female company employee, standing captivated before a well-honed example. "It has an overwhelming presence, and I couldn't utter a word for a moment."
While samurai have been a popular theme in anime, sports and over the Internet, the value of Japanese swords have taken a huge hit. Due to the long-lasting economic slump, prices continue to slide. In some cases, blades are treated as if they were to be sold at fire-sale prices.
Swords are frequently sold at leading Internet auction sites, with about 1,000 in "tachi" and "wakizashi" styles and other blades up for auction at any given time. Cheaper ones can be had for only several tens of thousands of yen.
"The value and prices of Japanese swords have been completely messed up now," a Tokyo-based sword dealer lamented.
It is modern-day sword masters who are most severely affected by the collapse in prices.
No matter how hard they brush up their traditional skills handed down through many generations and produce extraordinary works, the artisans can hardly secure a sale at a satisfactory price.
"Some old swords are of inferior quality. Compared with those, modern swords manufactured by sword masters who have accumulated their skills through training have such a high degree of perfection. But when swords attract attention as antiques or just as weapons, it is difficult to receive due recognition as works of art," Shigeki Yama****a, director of the Bizen Osafune Japanese Sword Museum in Setouchi, Okayama Prefecture, said.
Feeling anxious about their future, sword makers decided to take action after they noticed a wide variety of weapons inspired by legendary sword Magoroku Kanemoto and other blades featured in the futuristic "Evangelion." They thought they may be able to convey the value and charm of modern Japanese swords to the younger generation if they produced weapons from "Evangelion" with their sword-making techniques.
Akihira Kawasaki, a 44-year-old top class sword master, is one of the main members of the exhibition. Kawasaki, who works out of his sword-forging studio in Misato, Saitama Prefecture, has received the top award given by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry at a national sword contest in 2010, 2011 and again in 2013. He has inherited the traditional skills of the Soshu-den school of sword making, which is said to have been perfected by Masamune, one of Japan's greatest swordsmiths from the Kamakura Period (1192-1333).
Kawasaki made a weapon called the "Counter Sword," which was inspired by a blade used by the Evangelion Unit 01 robot in the "Evangelion" film series. After studying how the weapon is used in the anime, he decided to make a large version of a "wakizashi" short sword with a large tip and a wide blade. It took Kawasaki about three months to forge the sword.
Other swordsmiths created a replica of the fork-shaped "Lance of Longinus," the "Progressive Knife" and other weapons. Top-class artisans from around the country, including "shirogane-shi" (metal worker), who is in charge of making metal parts of swords, "saya-shi" (scabbard specialist), "togi-shi" (polishers) and "soken kinko" (sword fittings specialists), were also brought together for the exhibition.
The initial success of the art show, which attracted 47,000 visitors when it was first held at the Bizen Osafune Japanese Sword Museum, prompted the artisans and relevant parties to take it on tour. To date the event has been held in Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, Sapporo and other locations. It is now being held at the Osaka Museum of History in Osaka until Sept. 16.
"Initially, I was skeptical about whether it would be possible to make complicated things like the Lance of Longinus. So when I first laid my eyes on the completed lance, I was stunned and overwhelmed by its powerful presence," said Yasuhiro Kamimura, president of GroundWorks, which is responsible for the advertisement and promotion of the exhibition. "I think that the highly polished beauty and coolness of Japanese swords offer an expression that cannot be illustrated through the format of anime, making (the exhibition) a highly artistic collaboration."
Sword master Kawasaki said: "We artisans joined hands to make the best possible artworks because we wanted to convey the charm of modern swords. With our best wishes, we hope many people understand (our intention), and this valuable traditional culture will continue to be passed down to future generations."
300 MODERN SWORDSMITHS IN JAPAN
There are an estimated 300 modern swordsmiths working in Japan.
Those who wish to become a swordsmith are required to undertake a traditional apprenticeship and accumulate at least five years of training. In order to have their skills officially recognized, they must also join a training session hosted by the Agency for Cultural Affairs for the preservation of sword-making skills for artistic swords to demonstrate their techniques.
Before new swordsmiths forge their first sword, they are required to submit an application for approval to the agency's commissioner. Subsequently, they need to submit their applications to the education board in each prefecture.
According to the agency's Fine Arts Division, a total of 1,240 swords and blades were manufactured in the fiscal year ending in March 2012.
Training to be a swordsmith is difficult. Some studios impose strict rules on live-in apprentices, such as banning them from watching TV and listening to the radio.
Even after they go independent, only a few of them continue sword making while they earn their livings from part-time jobs and improve their skills.
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