SENDAI, Jun 03 (News On Japan) - There are only about a dozen craftsmen left in Japan who make 'shinai,' the bamboo swords used in kendo. Among them, Akihiko Kato, 69, from Sendai City, is Tohoku's only bamboo sword craftsman. Here's his story.
Kato explains, 'You split one piece of bamboo into eight, and from that, you can make two shinai.'
He started making bamboo swords in earnest after retiring at 60. It was a comment from his master, veteran craftsman Shozo Nishino, that inspired him.
Kato recalls, 'When I brought bamboo from Miyagi for the first time over a decade ago, he said, "I've never seen such good bamboo. It's the best in Japan." It would be a waste not to have even one craftsman where this top-quality bamboo is found.'
Once, all shinai were handcrafted by artisans. However, due to the influx of inexpensive, mass-produced foreign-made shinai, it is said that domestic ones now account for less than 1% of the market.
All the materials, such as moso bamboo, are cut by hand. Though bamboo is typically harvested in the dry winter season, Kato gave us a special demonstration of the process.
'Bamboo becomes very strong after being exposed to wind and snow,' Kato explains. 'The quality, strength, flexibility, and the sound when struck – Miyagi's bamboo is the best in Japan. Nothing else compares.'
Kato's shinai are fully custom-made, tailored to the client's preferences down to the millimeter. After roughly shaving the bamboo, he moves on to the process called 'tame,' where the bamboo is heated and bent straight.
'It's bent like this, but it becomes straight,' Kato shows.
He continues to shave it down through multiple stages.
'When I see the delighted faces of customers receiving their finished shinai, I truly feel it was worth it,' Kato reflects.
Orders now come from all over the country, but Kato has a concern.
'There will be no one left in Miyagi to make shinai, so I hope someone will become my successor,' Kato says.
Kato himself is a skilled kendo practitioner with a seventh-dan rank. His friends also use his shinai.
An eighth-dan practitioner remarks, 'I now use only his shinai.'
'From when I was a novice, they paid to use my shinai,' Kato says. 'I am truly grateful to my friends for raising me.'
Pursuing the perfect shinai, Kato continues his craftsmanship with dedication.
Source: TBS
