The Birthday of the Blade,” first exhibited in 2020, was regrettably shortened to just one week due to the spread of COVID-19. We are pleased to announce the reopening of this exhibition in our third-floor gallery.
The Japanese sword has been forged continuously for over a thousand years, from the mid-Heian period to the present day. Throughout that time, countless swordsmiths have dedicated their lives to creating these remarkable works. These swords have not only been wielded by historical icons but also by countless unnamed individuals—witnesses to the unfolding of history itself.
This exhibition showcases masterpieces bearing kinen-mei—inscriptions that indicate the date of a sword’s forging—drawing connections between each sword and the historical context of its creation. We invite you to contemplate the “birthdays” of these exceptional blades and immerse yourself in the worlds from which they came.
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