1.5 hour private experience
Location: Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Offered in Japanese, with a friendly Deeper Japan guide interpreting in your language
A minimum of 2 guests is required to book. Solo participants are welcome but will be charged the 2-person rate
Meet the Master
Trained under his master Sasaki Takushi, Yuki is a professional traditional Japanese katana polisher. Since establishing his Kamakura workshop in 2021, he has earned multiple awards from the Society for Preservation of Japanese Art Swords and worked on temple collections and ceremonial treasures.
What you’ll do
Learn how to appropriately appreciate a katana blade, as well as the appraisal methods used to by katana polishers. Then, join the master katana sharpener in his workshop to catch a glimpse of the katana blade polishing process.
Availability
Monday to Saturday
Session 1 (14:00 - 16:30)
Session 2 (16:30 - 18:00)
Who can attend
Children must be 12+
What to wear
Please refrain from wearing short skirts or otherwise revealing clothing.
You have to remove any jewelry or accessories before handling the swords.
Access
10min from Kamakura Station by car
40min from Yokohama Station by car
Cutting Edge
First mentioned in a codex from the Heian era, the position of a katana polishing artisan has been recorded, pointing to the existence of polishing as a core step of the katana creation process. In the age of the katana, the katana polisher both sharpened dulled blades and prepared ceremonial blades for their use in religious ceremonies and events. From this point in time, there existed two roles of the Japanese katana sword: to be used for self-preservation in daily life and on the battlefield, and to be used more as a symbolic object. During the Meiji era, the latter developed into the concept of treating katana not as a weapon but as a work of art, with the sharpening and polishing of the blade being more for the purpose of observing and enjoying its beauty than for combat or self-defense. Katana, as both an art form and a ceremonial artifact, has persisted into the present day, passed down as family heirlooms or newly forged. At this katana polishing workshop in Kamakura, join a master katana polisher in his workshop to learn about his work both as a polisher and as an appraiser of katana. Delve into the history of Japanese blade crafting and the present-day methods used to preserve them.
Cancellation Policy
Please make your booking at least 7 days in advance. See cancellation policy here.
A detailed itinerary will be emailed to you once your booking has been confirmed.
