VOL.198 NOVEMBER 2024
JAPANESE RAMEN AND ITS GLOBAL EXPANSION
[The Beauty of Japanese Swords] “Long Sword (Tachi) ” Bearing Yasuie’s Inscription
Photo: ColBase
This Long Sword (Tachi), a National Treasure, is said to have been made in the 12th century by Yasuie, a swordsmith from the end of the Heian period (late 8th century to late 12th century). It is unique in that it was definitely made by Yasuie.
The inscription on this sword resembles that of Yasutsuna*, not only in style but also in the position of the carving. In the history of Japanese swords, “The Chugoku region (the westernmost part of Japan’s main island, Honshu) is blessed with rich deposits of high-quality iron. […] The smiths working in the areas of Bizen (present-day southeastern Okayama Prefecture) and Hoki (modern western Tottori Prefecture) are especially well known.” **
This long sword, inscribed by Yasuie, is characterized by its slender body with a strong curve near the tsuka***, a fine itame pattern**** on the surface of the jigane*****, and a hamon****** with small, irregular patterns. This sword was passed down through the Kuroda family, the lords of the Fukuoka domain, and is currently housed in the Kyoto National Museum.
Photo: ColBase
* Yasutsuna: a renowned swordsmith famous for crafting the Dojikiri Yasutsuna See HIGHLIGHTING Japan, May 2024 edition:
** e-Museum (quote in Japanese version only)
<About terminology used in the quoted passages>
Chugoku region: located in western Honshu, Japan, this region includes the five prefectures of Tottori, Shimane, Okayama, Hiroshima, and Yamaguchi and is bordered by the Sea of Japan to the north and the Seto Inland Sea to the south.
*** tsuka: the grip of a sword, also called e in Japanese.
****itame pattern: a pattern that appears on the jigane, resembling wood grain with flowing annual rings.
*****jigane: Japanese swords are strengthened and made resilient by folding and forging the steel. This process creates surface patterns on the blade, known as jihada (iron skin), and the underlying blade material is called jigane.
******hamon: the pattern along the blade edge of Japanese swords, which varies by school and swordsmith
