One Of Japan’s Last Traditional Sword Makers

http://vimeo.com/32113233

Etsy put together this awesome short video about Korehira Watanabe, one of only about thirty remaining swordsmiths in Japan. I know next to nothing about swords, but even so, his swords look incredible, as in I watched this video with my mouth gaping open in awe. He’s been trying to recreate the Koto sword for the past 40 years for which there are no written instructions. But besides garnering massive respect for that, a lot about what he says about traditions and passion rings true to me – how some of the essence of tradition gets lost when they are adapted to modern times and this: “What I received from my master is not only the technique but also his passion for sword making.” So, I’m thinking new plan for after graduation: move to Japan, learn how to make swords, and maybe learn Japanese in there somewhere.