The
number of individuals who wish to become heir to the tradition of
japanese swordsmithing by undertaking traditional apprenticeship in
Japan has grown considerably. This is probaby due to the
internationalization of communications, giving a feeling that the very
remote and peculiar culture of the japanese sword is now more
accessible, and it probably is.
There is neither secret entrance
nor elitist criteria to become a swordsmith apprentice in Japan.
However, information on the subjet is scarce indeed, and cultural and
linguistic obstacles have cooled more than one. It is probably for such
reasons that so few foreigners have tried their hands at it. There is
the legend of a Westerner who would have set up his own forge by the
end of the 19th century but not much is known about him. Then there's
the better known Keith Austin — apprentice to the late "Living National
Treasure" Miyairi Yukihira, actually at the same time than Kawachi
Kunihira, Kiyota's master — but he unfortunately passed away in 1997.
Many more seem to have come and gone over a few years or even a few
months stay, some practicing the craft to some extent in their home
country, some others turning to entirely different fields.
There
are, at the begining of the 21st century, about 250 swordsmiths at work
in Japan. No doubt each of them has his own opinion on what
swordsmithing and its learning should be, his own habits and personality, and to a certain extent his own culture. The approach
explained here relates to the author's personal experience, his own
understanding of the culture and customs, and also to his beliefs.
There are certainly other ways that lead to a similar result, but
probably not identical.
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A
classical apprenticeship implies for the apprentice to reside at his
master's. He lives among the family and help with daily chores. During
apprenticeship, one obviously learns techniques, but mostly it is to
learn to recognize quality and the conditions that allow it. Even with
decades of practice, an isolated smith would not be able to make a
fine japanese sword simply because he wouldn't know what it is. To live
by one's master allows to soak in his standards (which justifies the
importance of choosing the best craftsman in a given field) and thus
make them one's own.
At the begining of the 21st century,
financial, social, and cultural considerations are at the root of the
diversity in craftsmanship and related apprenticeship
formats.
Some were remunerated during the late 1980's economic bubble, while
many demand that a pension be paid. Some apprentices live by themselves
and get to their master's each day. There are no norms anymore,
but for the expected quality.
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There
are no academic institutions where japanese swordsmithing can be
learned. To forge blades longer than 15cm in Japan, one must be
licenced by the Ministry of Education. To obtain this licence, one must
go through apprenticeship under a licenced smith for at least 4 years,
after which period one might be allowed to take the yearly test for new
smiths. The test involves the making of one sword, from raw material to
basic polishing and lasts about a week. Most apprenticeships last for
about 5 years.
The decisive factor, thus, is to be accepted by a licenced smith as his
apprentice.
Here's how. |
