sword making in Tokyo

[C Phillips]

Morning all,

I'm an assistant producer for a TV company in Bristol. We're hoping to do some filming in Japan in November for a documentary about Miyamoto Musashi and Samurai Culture. I'm currently trying to find a traditional sword maker in either Tokyo or Kyushu who might be prepared to let us film him at work. I'm also trying to find out as much as possible about the type of sword used by Musashi, as well as to corroborate rumours that he designed and/or made his own swords. Does anyone know anything abou this?

Any help or advice would be very much appreciated!
Thanks,
Catherine

[Finny]

Hi Catherine,

Our moderator in this forum, Colin Hyakutake-Watkin, is one of the senior members of the Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu - Musashi's school of swordsmanship.

He is probably your best bet regarding information on Musashi - see his website http://www.hyoho.com

Yoshindo Yoshihara is probable the most well known swordsmith in Tokyo - a google search should provide plenty of info

Might I suggest http://forums.swordforum.com as well.

Hope that helps some.

[Brian Owens]

...I'm also trying to find out as much as possible about the type of sword used by Musashi, as well as to corroborate rumours that he designed and/or made his own swords.

The folks at HNIR can tell you for sure, but until you can reach them...

Musashi carved his own bokken (wooden swords), and he cast many tsuba (sword handguards), but I don't recall ever hearing or reading of him being a bladesmith.

It's possible though -- he was a real renaissance man: swordsman, poet, painter, civil engineer, philosopher, author...many talents indeed.

[Ken-Hawaii]

Aloha, Catherine:

Where will your documentary be shown? And are you in the UK's Bristol or Australia's?

There are many of us on this forum who will be greatly interested in seeing what you produce.

[DDATFUS]

Hi Catherine,

to second what Brendan said, you really should contact the members of Hyoho Niten Ichi-ryu. Iwami Sensei, the current head of the school, is Musashi's eleventh-generation successor, and you are unlikely to find anyone as knowledge about Musashi and his life than the modern heir of his sword school. You might even be able to film some of their sword training-- they still practice the actual techniques and training drills that Musashi himself developed. The footage that I've seen of Hyoho Niten Ichi-ryu in the past ranks as some of the most interesting traditional swordwork that I've seen.

Good luck with your documentary; I'll look forward to viewing it one day.