【Ryogoku】The Japanese Sword Museum – A sacred place to appreciate the beauty and profundity of Japanese swords

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear of Ryogoku, Tokyo? For me, it is sumo. The January, May, and September tournaments of the Grand Sumo Tournament, held every other month, are held at the Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Hall. When you get off at Ryogoku Station, you can see the championship plaques of sumo wrestlers and the many signs for chanko restaurants, making you realize that this is a town of sumo. When you go to watch a sumo tournament, there are many people from overseas as well as Japanese people, and it makes you happy to see the high level of interest in Japan’s national sport, sumo, from all over the world.

However, Ryogoku also has facilities that promote Japanese culture and art aside from sumo. Ryogoku is the birthplace of Katsushika Hokusai, an ukiyo-e artist from the late Edo period. You can view Hokusai’s works at the Sumida Hokusai Museum. The Sword Museum that we will introduce this time is a rare museum dedicated to Japanese swords, and is located within a 10-minute walk from the Ryogoku Kokugikan.

About The Japanese Sword Museum

The Sword Museum opened in 1968 as an affiliated facility of the Japanese Art Sword Preservation Association to preserve and display Japanese swords and promote Japanese sword culture. It was originally located in Yoyogi, Shibuya Ward, but due to aging, the building had to be rebuilt and it was relocated to its current location in Ryogoku in 2017. In order to create a garden museum that can be enjoyed together with the garden, it was built on the grounds of the former Yasuda Gardens, a stroll-style feudal lord’s garden with a beautiful pond.

The museum has a large collection of swords, sword fittings, sword accessories, armor, metalwork materials, and many other items that have been designated or certified by the government, including the Nobuyoshi Sword, a national treasure. In addition to holding themed exhibitions several times a year, there is also an information corner on the first floor where you can learn about Japanese swords and sword making.

The building was designed by Fumihiko Maki, who inherited the ideas of modernism and was awarded the Pritzker Prize in 1993. The clean space is accentuated by meticulous details such as unique draping, giving it a modern impression.

What is a Japanese sword?

Japanese swords are cultural assets with over 1,000 years of history that have long been valued as symbols of faith and power, as well as works of art. They once served as weapons, but it is said that the rich sensibilities of the Japanese people elevated them from weapons to works of art and crafts. They have played a major role both historically and culturally, and are attracting great interest not only from within Japan, but also from overseas.

Japanese swords are extremely important to Japanese history and culture, but they have been at risk of being destroyed in large numbers due to the Meiji era’s Sword Abolition Order (1876) and the GHQ’s Sword Hunt (1945 and after), in which swords were confiscated from ordinary households as part of Japan’s disarmament efforts after World War II.

Among them, Professor Homma Junji and Professor Sato Kanzan played an important role in preserving Japanese swords. Professor Homma Junji was a leading researcher in Japanese swords, and after the war promoted preservation activities from the perspective that “Japanese swords are not weapons, but works of art.” Professor Sato Kanzan was a sword researcher active during the Showa period, and spread the academic value of Japanese swords around the world. The two founded The Society for Preservation of Japanese Art Swords in 1948, and established a system for appraising, researching, and protecting Japanese swords. A bronze statue of the two men has been erected at the entrance to the Sword Museum to commemorate their achievements.

Information Desk

In the information desk located next to the entrance on the first floor, there are displays that provide basic information about Japanese swords and sword fittings, as well as panels and videos that explain the process that goes into making a Japanese sword.

If it’s your first time visiting or you don’t know how Japanese swords are made, we recommend that you visit here first and then go to the paid exhibition room on the third floor.

In the exhibition room on the third floor, beautiful Japanese swords and sword fittings are displayed throughout the venue, reminding us that Japanese swords are truly works of art. It’s a shame that photography is prohibited, so we can’t convey the atmosphere, but the sight of the beautifully shining Japanese swords and elaborate fittings in the silence will take your breath away.

If you have the opportunity, please visit it!