Albeit, a treasure that is now worth a serious amount of money.A long, slender, gently-curving sword… Japan has a distinctive tradition of appreciating the blades of swords removed from their ornate scabbards, hilts and other decoration. It remains hidden, most likely sitting in a home somewhere in the U.S., languishing as an unknown and forgotten treasure of a long ago war. Another sits in the Truman Library in Independence, Missouri, gifted to the 33rd president by an American general who was given the sword by a Japanese family during the occupation at the end of WWII.īut the most famous-and greatest-of all the samurai swords has yet to be located. In 2014, an expert at the Kyoto National Museum identified the first Masamune blade in over 150 years, one known as the Shimazu Masamune. The whereabouts of only a handful of his creations are known today. The practice of signing the metal hilt of the sword was popular during his heyday, but, whether out of humility or preferred style, the most famous blacksmith in Japan often refused to follow this practice. Coldy Bimore, a man who extensive efforts have failed to identify or locate.Īdding to the lack of viable leads is the fact that Masamune’s swords are notoriously difficult to identify and locate. But the only name that was ever suggested as a possible lead was a Sgt. Many believe it was given to an American soldier, who presumably took it back to the U.S. The Tokugawa family, deciding to set a good example by abiding by the American decree, relinquished their famous sword to the U.S. One of these was the fabled Honjo Masamune. This ruling was eventually overturned, but not before many swords were disappeared or destroyed. decreed that all Japanese families must turn over their weapons, including the samurai swords that were long-time family heirlooms for many of the country’s top clans. Japan surrendered, and the victorious Allies led by the U.S. But that all changed when the fiery burst of atomic destruction brought the war to a sudden end. When World War II blazed onto the scene, the sword was still a prized possession of one branch of the Tokugawa family. The Honjo Masamune was awarded the distinction of being named an official Japanese National Treasure in 1939. Because of the sword’s prestige, it became a symbol of the Tokugawa Shogunate and was passed down through generations of the family long after their rule ended. It eventually landed in the hands of the Tokugawa family, who ruled Japan for over 250 years. But he quickly retaliated, killing his attacker and taking the prized weapon for himself.Īfter Shigenaga, the blade passed through a series of hands, lost and won in battles and sold by owners in need of some cash. He was hit on the head and the sword cracked his helmet in half. The story goes that Shigenaga was attacked in a battle by a warrior wielding the blade. It’s not clear who the sword was made for, but one of its earliest owners-and the man who contributed the first half of its name-was a warrior by the name of Honjo Shigenaga. Of all of Masamune’s creations, the Honjo Masamune is considered to be his finest. He awarded the win to Masamune, whose blade had only sliced through the leaves, sparing the innocent lives of fish and other living things that had come its way. Muramasa was sure that he had won after his blade sliced through everything the current sent its way.īut a passing monk disagreed. Masamune and Muramasa each dropped one of their swords, point down, into a nearby river. Legend has it that one day, the two swordsmiths decided to go head to head to see whose creations were truly the best in the world. While Muramasa was considered a top-notch blacksmith, he was also allegedly a troubled man, and these traits of violence were thought to be melted into the blades that he forged. The only man said to rival him was a fellow master of the craft known as Sengo Muramasa. Well before modern tools or technology, Masamune was crafting some of the finest swords Japan had ever seen. During this era of Japanese history, known as the Kamakura Period, the samurai ruled Japan and fought off a series of Mongol invasions aided by their deadly weapon, which was commonly said to be the “soul of the samurai.” It can be hard to distinguish fact from myth in the life of Masamune, but it is widely believed that he lived and plied his trade from the mid-13th century through the turn of the 14th, during the golden age of swordsmithing in Japan. But the one test it has yet to overcome is the invasion of American soldiers during World War II, when it was seen for the last time.Īs with all good tales of mastery and adventure, the Honjo Masamune and it’s creator, Goro Nyudo Masamune, have entered the world of legend.
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