Japanese Swords: Cultural Icons of a Nation; The History, Metallurgy and Iconography of the Samurai Sword - Softcover

Roach, Colin M.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 4805313315 ISBN 13: 9784805313312

Publisher: Tuttle Publishing, 2014

Synopsis

With over 300 stunning photographs and woodblock prints along with extensive historical and cultural commentary, Japanese Swords is the ultimate authority on Samurai weaponry.

Historically, Japanese warriors considered their swords to be more elevated than simple weaponry. Their swords were both lethal tools and divine companions — social and religious icons. Traditionally worn by the samurai as a sign of social status, the Japanese sword represented the junction between the ruling military class and those whom they ruled. Moreover, the samurai sword was a technological and artistic marvel. Many scholars consider it to be the finest sword ever constructed.

Concerning symbolism and historical importance, no other blade comes close to the Japanese sword. With a historical, iconographical, and technological perspective, author Cohn M. Roach provides an in-depth study of these magnificent weapons in Japanese Swords. This richly illustrated sword book weaves the blade's primary influences together, tracking its history and illuminating its progress from infancy to grandeur. By studying the evolution of the Japanese sword from this perspective, we better understand Japan and its warrior archetype.

Combining research materials from multiple disciplines, Roach uses his expertise as an educator to guide readers through the sword's rise to greatness in a unique way. This book discusses the history, development, and spiritual symbolism of the sword, as well as the esoteric metallurgical techniques used in making it. It also covers the intense training practices used by skilled swordsmen.

Japanese Swords also includes a companion DVD featuring a beautifully-filmed documentary that explores the traditional swordmaker's craft. The DVD also contains an introduction to the Japanese sword at a sword shop in Kyoto and a visit to a dojo for a beginner's class in the medieval sword-drawing art called iaido.

About this title

About the Author:

Colin M. Roach, M.Ed. lives in the high mountains of Utah with his wife and three sons. He is a private school administrator with expertise in the areas of differentiated teaching and learning, and a member of the All Kinds of Minds Institute's national teaching faculty. Mr. Roach is an avid student of Japanese history, culture, and martial arts. Four generations of familial connection to Japan have fueled Mr. Roach's passionate study of Japan's archetypal warrior culture. In addition to his academic study of sword-related symbolism, he has trained with some of the top teachers of aikido and iaido in Japan and America. He holds the ranks of Youdan (4th degree) in iado and Sandan (3rd degree) in aikido. He also holds the teaching title ""Shidoin" in both arts. Mr. Roach often travels to teach sword-related symbolism, traditional Japanese swordsmanship, the etiquette involved when handling a Japanese sword, and iado's role in cultural preservation.

From Publishers Weekly:

Roach, a student of both iaido and aikido and a dedicated sword-enthusiast, passionately dissects the symbolic essence of the sword throughout history, emphasizing changes in social significance, technological influence, and iconography. The erudite prose is ameliorated by design, modern swordsmanship, traditional artwork, illustrative photos, and etiquette. Historical periods are elegantly punctuated with ornate depictions, highlighting shifts in katana design and value from early periods to the current interpretation of ancient disciplines. Roach's own deep-rooted interest and involvement in the subject ensures a seamless blend of historical and religious themes, as well as much "sword appreciation" (the author champions his comrades in promoting traditional craftsmanship and confronts the contemporary dilemma of commercial fraud and shameless profiteering). In order to truly understand the Japanese sword in its entirety one must, Roach suggests, appreciate the "unique sociological, spiritual, and metallurgical environment in which it evolved." With this at the core of his book, he vividly tracks the fundamental transition from the sword as a mythological instrument to a functional tool for war, and finally to the display art commodity it is today.
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About this edition

• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 4805313315
• ISBN 13: 9784805313312
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 176