In the last years and decades several publications and translations on the subject of the Japanese Sword have been published in the West. In this way, the historical background, the characteristics of the blades, smiths, and schools, as well as the art of sword forging, and the sword fittings were introduced and explained. The aim of this publication is now to bring the reader closer to the role the Japanese sword - the nihont - played in the warrior class and the Japanese society, namely by the means of legends, stories, and anecdotes on famous swords and their swordsmiths, embedded in an explanation of the background and other relevant facts. In the end, the reader should have an idea about the high value that was placed on this proverbial legendary weapon that span than a thousand years of Japanese history (and even still today as an object of art). The aim was to obtain a balance between easy access for beginners and detailed facts for confirmed enthusiasts.

This is now the second volume of my book ,,Legends and Stories around the Japanese Sword". Once more I try to bring the reader closer to the Japanese sword and dig deeper into the matter by the means of legends, stories and anecdotes about famous swords and their swordsmiths. Like in the first volume, I introduce several famous meito or meibutsu, for example the Kogarasu-maru, Yoshimoto-Samonji, Takemata-Kanemitsu, Kuronbogiri-Kagehide, Tsurumaru-Kuninaga and many more. And the stories deal among other things with the greatest swordsmiths in Japanese history like Masamune, Muramasa, Samonji, Kiyomaro and Kotetsu, to name only a few.

This completely new encyclopedic reference for the Japanese sword contains about 2,500 terms, many of them illustrated by photos and drawings. The Encyclopedia of Japanese Swords is an A-Z general encyclopedia covering each and every part of the sword: the blade, the mountings, the fittings, and all their different interpretations. Further, this encyclopedia also explains the literal or etymological meaning of each Japanese term and provides an even deeper insight into the subject.

With this publication I try to systematically and comprehensively process the subject of ,,Japanese sword mountings". It was not my goal to depict as many extant interpretations of sword mountings as possible but to deal with their different styles. With this publication the reader will be informed in which way the Japanese swords were mounted over time, the origins of the various styles, what changes they underwent and it will also serve as a reference material to classify extant specimen. In this sense the descriptions were embedded in an explanation of their historical context rather then listing them simply by their interpretation or in alphabetical order. As the main focus lies on ,,koshirae", explanations on the sword fittings - the tosogu - were omitted because their descriptions can be easily found elsewhere. Also, the military mountings - the gunto-koshirae - were left out because there are excellent publications available which deal with them in great detail.

This authoritative history of Japan’s elite warrior class separates fact from myth as it chronicles centuries of samurai combat, culture, and legend. In Legends of the Samurai, Hiroaki Sato examines the history of these medieval Japanese warriors, as well as the many long-standing myths that surround them. In doing so, he presents an authentic and revealing picture of these men and their world. Sato’s masterful translations of original samurai tales, laws, dicta, reports, and arguments are accompanied by insightful commentary. With incisive historical research, this volume chronicles the changing ethos of the Japanese warrior from the samurai's historical origins to his rise to political power. A fascinating look at Japanese history as seen through the evolution of the samurai, Legends of the Samurai stands as the ultimate authority on its subject.

Eleven adventure stories set in the exciting and fascinating period of ancient Japan

On November 25, 1970, the world renowned Japanese writer Yukio Mishima committed seppuku with his own antique sword. Mishima's spectacular suicide has been called many things: a hankering for heroism; a beautiful, perverse drama; a political protest against Japan's emasculated postwar constitution; the epitaph of a mad genius. Part travelogue, part biography, and part philosophical treatise, Mishima's Sword is the story of Christopher Ross's journey to find a sword and maybe an understanding of Mishima's country. The cold trail the author follows inspires a tale of the most engaging-and occasionally bizarre-sort, with glimpses of the real Japan that is not seen by tourists, with digressions on, among other things, bushido and socks, mutineers and Noh ghosts, nosebleeds and metallurgy-and even how to dress for suicide.

A shocking assassination creates an unconventional bond between a princess and her guardian in a kingdom filled with political intrigue, danger and unexpected romance. Princess Shasta Soltranis enjoys a pampered life of court dances, elaborate finery, and the occasional secret fencing match with her twin brother, Daric. But in the midst of a birthday celebration, her world shatters when a mysterious assassin takes her brother's life. Shasta, the only remaining heir to the throne, narrowly escapes the assassin's blade thanks to the intervention of a traveling acrobat named Talon. With the threat of another attempt on Shasta's life imminent, her father declares that the young hero will be come the Princess's bodyguard. But what Shasta doesn't know is that her new guardian has a very well-kept secret: he is actually a she. Talon and Shasta soon grow closer than anyone, especially her father, could have predicted. Will the truth of her guardian's secret change their relationship forever?

Western scholars and educators are generally far less familiar with the samurai in his original-and, ostensibly, primary-role as warrior and masters of arms than in his other functions as landowner, feudal lord, literature, or philosopher. Yet, any attempt to comprehend fully the samurai without considering his military abilities and training (bugei) is futile. With verve and wit, Karl Friday combines the results of nearly two decades of fieldwork and archival research to examine samurai martial culture from a broad perspective: as a historical phenomenon, as a worldview, and as a system of physical, spiritual, and moral education.

"A reference/historical guide to the ""collectable"" market of Japanese military swords. Subjects covered include rebellion swords, Army, Air Force and home-defence emergency-issue swords, civil officials' swords, detail on blades, swordsmiths and markings, and collecting."