The Spirit of the Katana Sword

Meet the master

What you’ll do

Observe a katana master crafting samurai swords in his Odawara forge in this comprehensive katana masterclass. Experience operating the forge yourself and assist in part of the steel hammering process required to create a samurai sword.

Who can attend

Children must be 10+

Availability

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday

Session 1 (9:00 - 11:30)
Session 2 (13:30 - 16:00)

Unavailable every Saturday and New year holidays.

Access

30 minutes from Odawara station

Custodians of the Soul of Swords

The katana is a masterful blade that balances between weapon and art, practicality and beauty. A veritable symbol of Japan's samurai bushido culture, the way of the warrior may no longer be practiced in society, but the katana still captivates with its strength, flexibility, and endlessly varying hamon patterns. Making a katana sword is a mixture of instinct and experience, with senses guiding creation. A master can determine the next step of the katana-making process by the color of the fire shifting from orange to yellow, from the crackle of the flames, and from the scattering of sparks following the crash of the hammer. Currently, roughly less than 150 katana masters remain actively crafting, due to the aging population, an intensive apprenticeship program, and lingering effects from WWII manufacturing bans. However, Ozawa works tirelessly in his Odawara katana studio, folding steel into swords, working not only to display his finished masterpeices, but also to pass on a passion for katana to future generations. Observe katana master Ozawa crafting samurai swords in his Odawara forge in this comprehensive katana masterclass.