Sword-related sites in Japan

[Kennesten]

Hello, everyone. I'm traveling to Japan for the first time in two weeks (May 21), and I'm hoping to visit some places in Japan important to the martial culture, swordsmanship in particular. I will mainly be in the Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka/Nara area (hugging the Shinkansen) -- are there any places I should visit? I would love to see any demonstrations, shrines, museums (I seem to remember Yoshindo Yoshihara has a sword shop near Yokohama station?). Any suggestions? Anywhere an aspiring martial artist ought to visit?
Thanks so much -- I'm very excited. =)

Nicholas Lauridsen

[allan]

You may want to visit the Katori shrine near Narita, also the Kashima shrine. Both of these places are important shinto shrines to bugeisha (martial spirits are enshrined there) and they are very important historically to the develpoment of koryu.

Near Nara (which is close to Kyoto) is Yagyu-zato, the village where the Yagyu family (of Yagyu Shinkage-ryu fame) was historically seated. Shinkage-ryu was the official school of swordsmanship of the Tokugawa shogunate. You may want to check out Dave Lowry's book PERSIMMON WIND for more on the history of the Shinkage-ryu and the wonderful possibilities of martial pilgrimages.

Good Luck.