- Create Your Own Masterpiece
In this experience, guests work directly with a practicing swordsmith and take part in the creation of their own blade.
Through forging, shaping, clay coating, and quenching, participants gain insight into both the technical and artistic aspects of the tradition.
Guests may choose to forge a traditional Japanese-style utility knife or a small blade made from tamahagane steel. Full-sized sword projects are available upon consultation.
Japanese Swordsmithing Experience
Forging Your Own Blade
Kameoka, Kyoto
Japanese swords are more than weapons. Long after firearms had replaced them on the battlefield, they continued to be treasured as objects of beauty, identity, and spiritual significance. In the world of Japanese swords, the ability to cut is taken for granted; what distinguishes an exceptional blade is its beauty.
Long before modern metallurgy, swordsmiths learned to control temperature and hardness through observation and experience — reading the color of heated steel and judging subtle changes by sight and touch. These sensitivities continue to be passed from master to apprentice and remain at the heart of sword making today.
In this experience, guests work directly with a practicing swordsmith and take part in the creation of their own blade. Through forging, shaping, clay coating, and quenching, participants gain insight into both the technical and artistic aspects of the tradition.
Guests may choose to forge a traditional Japanese-style utility knife or a small blade made from tamahagane steel. Full-sized sword projects are available upon consultation.
- He says
“Japanese people continued to cherish Japanese swords even after firearms made them obsolete as weapons. The swords are beautiful, and people have believed that protective deities dwell within them.
“I hope many people will discover the enduring appeal that Japanese people have valued for generations.”
- Swordsmith
- Yuya Nakanishi
- Enchanted by the mysterious beauty of Japanese swords, Yuya began forging in 2005. While making Japanese swords to order, he welcomes visitors from around the world and offers them the opportunity to experience the sword-forging process. Through this experience, he hopes they will come to appreciate the cultural significance and enduring appeal of Japanese swords.
Access
25 minutes by train and 25 minutes by taxi from Kyoto Station
The marker shows the approximate area.
The exact address will be provided when your reservation is confirmed.
Experiences
- Reserve
Tamahagane Kogatana Forging Experience
39,000 JPY / personCreate a compact kogatana from tamahagane, the traditional steel associated with Japanese swordmaking. In this half-day experience, a swordsmith guides you through shaping an approximately 10 cm blade, applying clay to design the hardened edge, and quenching it to reveal a distinctive hamon.
The blade is fully sharpened after quenching and presented in a paulownia-wood box for you to take home on the day. A sheath is not included. Unlike the full-size katana and tanto plans, this accessible experience produces a compact blade within a single visit.
- Reserve
Japanese-Style Utility Knife Forging
61,000 JPY / personForge a practical Japanese-style utility knife in a half-day experience with a Japanese swordsmith near Kyoto. Working with modern steel, heat and hammer the material, shape an approximately 12 cm blade, anneal it to relieve stress, and complete the oil-quenching process under close guidance. The finished blade is fully sharpened and may be taken home on the day of the experience.
A fitted leather sheath is always included and will be shipped later to an address in Japan or overseas; its shipping fee is included in the plan. Keep the blade securely packed while transporting it and do not carry it unnecessarily. When flying, place it in checked baggage and confirm the airline and destination-country rules before travel.
- Reserve
Forge a Custom Tanto with a Japanese Swordsmith
800,000 JPY / personSpend a full day creating a custom tanto under the guidance of a Japanese swordsmith near Kyoto. Work with tamahagane and take part in the major stages of traditional swordmaking, including refining and folding the steel, shaping the blade, applying clay, and quenching it in water. The finished blade is approximately 20 cm long.
After the experience, the swordsmith and specialist craftspeople complete the polishing, simple mounting, registration, and export procedures. Completion takes approximately five years. Shipping and any customs duties are not included. Compared with the uchigatana plan, this experience centers on a compact blade while retaining the long completion process of an authentic Japanese sword.
- Reserve
Forge Your Own Katana with a Japanese Swordsmith
2,200,000 JPY / personSpend a private day learning the art of Japanese swordmaking directly from a licensed swordsmith near Kyoto. After an introduction to the history, structure, and cultural significance of the katana, take part in every major stage of forging your own full-length uchigatana: refining and folding the tamahagane, shaping the blade, applying clay, and quenching it in water.
After the experience, the swordsmith and specialist craftspeople complete the polishing, simple mounting, registration, and export procedures. Completion takes several years. Shipping and any customs duties are not included. This is the most comprehensive swordmaking plan, created for guests seeking a serious encounter with the craft rather than a shorter knife experience.
