占領期と刀剣保存

Defeat and Disarmament — An Existential Crisis for the Japanese Sword

The Allied Occupation (1945–1952), which began after Japan's surrender on August 15, 1945, brought the greatest crisis in the history of the Japanese sword. GHQ/SCAP identified Japanese swords as symbols of militarist spirit and, as part of the disarmament directives, ordered their confiscation and destruction.

Between 1946 and 1948, a nationwide "sword hunt" (katanagari) was carried out. Swords held in private homes were requisitioned; the majority of blades brought to police stations and Allied facilities were destroyed. Similar requisitioning occurred throughout the Tohoku region including Sendai, and some blades associated with the Date family were lost during this period. Estimates suggest that between 500,000 and over 1,000,000 swords were lost during this period, including many works of significant artistic and historical importance.

Severe restrictions were also imposed on swordsmiths. Sword manufacture was effectively prohibited, and many smiths lost their livelihoods during the postwar recovery period, facing a severe crisis of technical transmission. Throughout the early Shōwa period (1946 onward), there was a profound fear that forging traditions accumulated over centuries would be permanently extinguished.

The Birth of the Preservation Movement

In the face of this desperate situation, advocates committed to protecting Japanese swords as cultural property began to organize. In 1946, sword researchers, collectors, and sword-world professionals gathered to establish the Nihon Tōken Hozonkai (Japanese Sword Preservation Society). Through persistent negotiations with GHQ, this body worked to secure recognition of Japanese swords as "fine craft objects," opening a pathway to cultural property protection status.

The central challenge in negotiations with GHQ was demonstrating that the Japanese sword was not merely a weapon but a uniquely Japanese artwork with a history exceeding a thousand years — persuading the occupation authorities to recognize its cultural and scholarly significance. These efforts produced tangible results: from around 1948, swords registered as cultural properties began to qualify for exemption from confiscation.

Establishment of the NBTHK and Legal Frameworks

From 1948 to 1949, preparations proceeded for the establishment of the NBTHK (Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai — Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords). Formally founded in 1951, the NBTHK inherited the appraisal functions that the Hon'ami family had provided during the Edo period and advanced the revival of Japanese sword culture through a modern organizational structure.

One of the NBTHK's earliest and most critical priorities was establishing the sword registration system. Based on the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties enacted in 1950, Japanese swords were incorporated into the framework of the Act on Control of Possession of Firearms, Swords, and Other Weapons (Jūhō-tō), under which only registered swords could be legally possessed and traded. The registration certificate (tōroku-shō) system established at this time continues today as the foundation of legal sword ownership in Japan.

Among swords returned from GHQ, those recognized as having cultural value were processed through NBTHK mediation to secure their return to Japanese owners. However, only a small fraction of confiscated blades were returned; the majority were destroyed or taken to the United States. The presence of significant numbers of Japanese swords in American private collections and museums today is partly a consequence of this Occupation-era confiscation and outflow.

Technical Revival and the Continuation of Swordsmithing

In 1954, restrictions on sword manufacture were relaxed, and the production of Japanese swords as fine art objects (bijutsu-tōken) was officially permitted. This allowed smiths who had been forced to abandon the craft to begin forging again. Pioneer modern smiths, notably Miyairi Yukihira, devoted themselves to reviving and transmitting the technical tradition during this period.

Nevertheless, the impact of more than seven years of prohibition and restriction was severe. Many veteran smiths died during the occupation years, and in numerous cases the chain of technical transmission to their disciples was broken. The production of tamahagane (the specialized steel used for Japanese swords) through tatara iron-smelting had also ceased, making procurement of quality raw materials a serious challenge. Full-scale tamahagane production would not resume until the establishment of the Nittō-ho Tatara program in 1977.

The Historical Significance of the Occupation Period

The ordeal of the Occupation era paradoxically produced the clear legal codification of the Japanese sword's status as a cultural property. Through the negotiations with GHQ and the subsequent legislative process, the definition of "the Japanese sword as a fine craft object" was institutionalized, forming the legal and institutional foundation for the subsequent development of Japanese sword culture. The NBTHK's establishment is one of the most important legacies of this era and the bedrock upon which modern Japanese sword culture rests.

Furthermore, the experience of the Occupation period instilled in Japanese sword enthusiasts a deep sense of mission to preserve sword culture. The gratitude owed to those who devoted themselves to sword preservation in this era, and the sense of responsibility to transmit their legacy to future generations, should be a spiritual foundation shared by all modern sword collectors. The recognition that collecting and appreciating Japanese swords is not merely personal hobby but a practice of cultural heritage preservation has its roots here.