Misato, Saitama, Japan, Feb 11, 2026 (AFP) - 'Artists of steel': Japanese swords forge new fanbase

NAMPA / AFP

2026-02-11

Sparks illuminate the soot-covered studio of Japanese swordsmith Akihira Kawasaki as his apprentice hammers red-hot steel, showcasing a millennium-old craft now enjoying a resurgence in popularity. Despite the rapidly greying, shrinking population of blademakers in Japan, their fine steel swords known as katana are amassing a new generation of fans, particularly younger women, on the back of pop culture. Driving the sword boom of the last decade......

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