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July 25, 2026
 

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SWORDS

Sparks fly as swordsmith Akihira Kawasaki forges a katana blade with a mechanical hammer at his workshop in Misato, Saitama Prefecture.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Feb 12, 2026
¡®Artists of steel¡¯: Japanese swords forge new fanbase
Despite the rapidly shrinking population of blademakers in Japan, their fine steel swords known as katana are amassing a new generation of fans, particularly younger women.
This year marked the ninth annual championship put on by the Hogyokukai school of traditional Japanese swordsmanship.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jul 26, 2025
Traditional Japanese swordsmanship ¡ª with modern matches
Held on July 12, the Hogyokukai¡¯s ninth annual championship once again blended classic techniques with contemporary competition.
Johan Leutwiler checks a sword he made at his workshop studio in the Kui district of Mihara, Hiroshima Prefecture.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Mar 24, 2025
Japan¡¯s first foreign swordsmith opens workshop in Hiroshima Prefecture
Johan Leutwiler hopes to promote the charm of Japanese swords following the completion of his five-year apprenticeship.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Mar 25, 2023
High-tech ¡¯²õ²¹²õ²õ±ð²Ô¡¯ duels are an active otaku¡¯s dream
In a world of endless options for virtual entertainment, could this be the perfect marriage of tech and athletics?
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / Regional Voices: Fukushima
May 17, 2021
Fukushima firm leaves mark on students¡¯ favorite school trip souvenir
Takahashi Industry started manufacturing wooden swords soon after it was founded in 1972, and has carved out a niche in Japan¡¯s souvenir market.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Apr 24, 2019
Sword presented after Emperor¡¯s birth to be displayed at Kyoto shrine
A short sword linked to the so-called amulet sword, a ceremonial sword that was presented to the Imperial family when Emperor Akihito was born, will be displayed at a shrine in Yawata, Kyoto Prefecture, from Friday.
Japan Times
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Oct 23, 2018
Setouchi sets ?500 million goal to bring renowned Japanese sword back ¡®home¡¯
The city of Setouchi in Okayama Prefecture, which once flourished as a major producer of swords, said Tuesday it will use crowdfunding as part of an attempt to raise a total of ?500 million from in and outside the country to bring back ¡°home¡± a renowned sword called Yamatorige.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / TELLING LIVES
May 16, 2018
Swedish-Japanese swordsmith forges his destiny in Yamaguchi after trial by fire
Driving through the valleys outside Hofu in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Yasha Yukawa scours the surrounding rice paddies for the raw material he covets. He is constantly on the lookout for rice straw, but only the farmers that harvest the traditional way preserve it.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Nov 21, 2017
The maven of Japanese sword fittings
The special exhibition ¡°Pinnacle of Elegance: Sword Fittings of the Mitsumura Collection¡± at the Nezu Museum offers a fascinating look at the collection that Toshimo Mitsumura (1877-1955), a wealthy businessman, amassed at the end of the Meiji Era (1868-1912). Mitsumura¡¯s passion for swords is reflected...
Japan Times
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / History / THE LIVING PAST
Oct 14, 2017
Japan¡¯s ¡®way of the sword¡¯ baffles foreign observers
All cultures present aspects that cannot but baffle the foreign observer. For example: nothing in the native tradition equips a Japanese to grasp the concept of the blood of the crucified son of the one God washing believers clean of sin.
Japan Times
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Science & Health / NATURAL SELECTIONS
Feb 18, 2017
¡®Moving Zen¡¯ and the modern samurai
¡°Be true to the thought of the moment and avoid distraction. Other than continuing to exert yourself, enter into nothing else, but go to the extent of living single thought by single thought.¡±
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Feb 14, 2017
Sharpen your knowledge of Japanese swords
If you¡¯ve ever wanted to learn about Japanese swords, now¡¯s the time, as an unusually large number of top-quality blades are currently on view at two Tokyo museums. Either exhibition is well worth a visit but together they¡¯re dynamite.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Aug 31, 2015
Katana swordplay exercise is a hit with Tokyo women
Samurai may be known as a man¡¯s pursuit, but feudal Japan produced a number of legendary female warriors who took to the battlefield with a sword that still holds a high cultural position today.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jun 2, 2015
¡®The World of Edo Dandyism: From Swords to Inro¡¯
May 30-July 20
Japan Times
LIFE
Apr 27, 2008
Bestowing beauty on a fearful blade
If you were to call 51-year-old Yoshihiko Usuki a makeover maestro, he¡¯d probably just chuckle, go back to his hunched position and continue sliding the sword clasped in his hands over a polishing stone.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Japan to set up expert working group on accepting foreign nationals
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara (second from left) addresses a meeting of ministers responsible for policies concerning foreign residents, held at the Prime Minister's Office on Friday.
Head of Swiss euthanasia firm dies after collapsing while ascending Mount Fuji
Around 200,000 people typically scale the 3,776 meter Mount Fuji each year.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Japan to set up expert working group on accepting foreign nationals
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara (second from left) addresses a meeting of ministers responsible for policies concerning foreign residents, held at the Prime Minister's Office on Friday.
Inside Toho Archive¡¯s mission to save Japan¡¯s cinematic memory
The goal of restoration is not to artificially upscale but to return the film to the condition it was in ¡°the very first day it appeared in the world,¡± says Nobushige Toshima, president and sales division manager of Toho Archive.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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