“Steel artists”: video games and cartoons whet the passion for the katana

The video game “Touken Ranbu”, where swords take the appearance of handsome young men, has largely contributed to the boom of the last decade. More recent successes like the American series “Shogun” or the cartoon “Demon Slayer” have reinforced this trend.

“It’s really encouraging to see that more young people sincerely love swords,” Mr. Kawasaki, 57, told AFP.

Katana enthusiasts “were once exclusively men”, he says, with some being condescending towards newcomers. “It was not a pleasant community.”

– Public “à 80% féminin” –

Since the release of Touken Ranbu in 2015, some fans have become true katana lovers.

Minori Takumi, 25, began studying blades in museums after discovering the game as a teenager.

“I wanted to see the commonalities between a real sword and his character,” she says. Little by little, she became fascinated by the hamon, this whitish line along the edge of the blade. Her passion led her to the Bizen Osafune Sword Museum in Setouchi City, where she became a curator.

The museum regularly exhibits “Sanchomo”, a legendary sword classified as a national treasure, purchased for more than $3 million in 2020 thanks to crowdfunding.

Its presence in Touken Ranbu makes it a major attraction: “When it is exhibited, attendance explodes”, indicates Tumi Grendel Markan, cultural guide, referring to an audience that is “80% female”.

She believes “Shogun” also helped introduce Japanese swords to a new generation.

The massive success of “Demon Slayer” has pushed craftsmen and enthusiasts around the world to post videos on YouTube where they recreate the extravagant swords from the series, garnering millions of views.

Young fans of “Demon Slayer” also come to see Mr. Kawasaki’s work, impressed by their knowledge. “It doesn’t matter what attracts them, as long as they learn to love the katana,” he says.

– Passion for blacksmithing is running out of steam –

Despite this enthusiasm, blacksmiths remain in difficulty. Their number has been halved in nearly 40 years to around 160, according to the Japan Blacksmiths Association. Many are in their seventies or eighties.

Young people are put off by compulsory, unpaid apprenticeship, which lasts at least five years, explains Tetsuya Tsubouchi, a manager of the association.

The daily work – hammering steel for hours, standing sweaty in front of the fireplace – is grueling.

Above all, “we struggle to make a living,” says Mr. Tsubouchi, 66, referring to prices driven down by collectors’ preference for old swords. “The idea that ancient swords are the best remains deeply rooted.”

Mr. Kawasaki’s work is an exception: his pieces sell for tens of thousands of dollars.

In addition to Touken Ranbu fans looking for replicas, martial arts practitioners appreciate their effectiveness.

But above all he wants the katana to be recognized as a contemporary work of art. He says he creates swords with incomparable “power, beauty and vitality”.

Not all blacksmiths share this vision. Some produce good blades “without ever seeking creativity”, he says. As long as this state of mind persists, the contemporary katana will remain underestimated, he warns.

“Unless we assert ourselves as steel artists, we will never be recognized at our true value.”