Japanese Katana Essay -- Art, Sword, Samurai

A popular ancient Japanese motto states that The marque is the soul of the fightrior. (Buchanan 120) The warrior in the proverb pertains to the samurai of feudal Japan and the marque refers to their most prominent weapon, the Katana. An ancient marque made through a complicated forging process, the Katana is truly a work of cunning. Also cognise as the Japanese long sword or the samurai sword, the Katana is a cut, single-edged blade with ridges along its exterior. It is primarily used as a weapon to arise down or slash its foes (Robinson 28). The ridges along the blade, called the hamon, divides the soft metal components, the shingane, from the hadagane of the serious metal components used to forge the sword to give it its trademark razor sharp edge and flexibility (Turnbull 12). The blade of the Katana is around sixty to 70 centimeters in length and is often likened to the arc of the new moon. With its signature curved edge and its fusion of hard and soft metals, the Kata na is considered to be the greatest criminal offense weapon ever created (ONeill 114,116). It is a hallmark of Japanese sword memoir and is a noteworthy aspect of Japanese craftsmanship. The Japanese Katana is an important emblem of Japanese culture whose significance must be asserted.Stories about war and implements of such can be observed throughout the course of Japanese history. This shows the prevalence of martial training and the profession of arms as a tradition that has not faded since ancient times (Friday and Humitake 13). Japanese sword history spans several centuries. It is comm exclusively divided into five major periods, the Jokoto and Koto periods or the ancient swords, pre-650 A.D, and the old swords from post-650 A.D. until 1596 A.D. when the Shinto... ...h their swords. All lived by a code that cherished death over defeat. They were the samurai, the elite warrior class who ruled Japan for to the highest degree 700 years, leaving an indelible mark on a land Japan. (ONeill 101) This citation taken from a National Geographic publication is one of galore(postnominal) others that speak of the tenacity of the samurai. Noble and aggressive, the samurai wield their swords with killing intent, confident that a simple strike from their blades can cause certain death to their foes. This was the primal reason the Katana is made in such a way. It is to create a weapon of absolute destruction. An implement comprising of aspects that symbolize elegance and devastation, the Katana not only is the finest weapon ever made, it is also a beautiful work of art (Yumoto n.p.).The elegance of the Katana stems from its shape and the method used to create it.