Title Nihon no Katana (Japanese Swords)Iron Craftsmanship and the warrior Spirit
Publication Year 1997
By Tokyo National Museum
The English foreword says,"In Japan,swords have long been treated with speical reverence.More than simply tools of war,swords have had ceremonial uses as well.They have also been purely objects of appreciation,a role in which they led the way for other Japanese art and handicrafts.Already in the kamakura period the book Meitsukushi(collectios of signatures)was published,which recorded the characteristics of various swords smith.from this account we understand how Japanese people continued to preserve swords of older eras regardless of these weapons actual usuage.
This exhibit recognizes that Katana have come to highly valued by the Japnese people and asks that their pride in the "worrior spirit" and its history be appreciated."
