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The Legend of Okazaki Masamune ( see the above table reference **)
When someone was trying to test the sharpness of a Muramasa blade he placed it in a current of water and watched how it acted against the dead leaves flowing down stream. He saw that every leaf that met the blade was cut in half. He then placed an Okazaki Masamune blade in the stream and he was surprised to find that the leaves avoided the blade. The Okazaki Masamune blade was not bent on killing. It was more than a cutting implement. Whereas the Muramasa could not go beyond cutting, there was nothing pure or divine in it.
Japanese Historical Era to Sword Era
| Japanese Historical Era |
Year |
Sword Era |
| Heian (782-1184) |
800 |
|
| |
1000 |
Koto (pre 1596) |
| Kamakura (1185-1332) |
|
|
| |
1200 |
|
| Nambokucho (1333-1391) |
|
|
| |
1400 |
|
| Muromachi (1392-1572) |
|
Shinto (1597-1780) |
| Momoyama (1573-1599) |
|
|
| Edo (1600-1867) |
1600 |
|
| |
1800 |
Shinshinto (1781-1876) |
| Meiji (1868-1912) |
1900 |
Gendai(Kindai) (1877-945) |
| Taisho (1912-1926) |
|
Shinsaku (modern) |
| Showa (1926-1989) |
|
|
| Heisei (1989- +) |
2000 |
|
The golden age of sword making
The early part of the 13-century was the height of Japanese sword making, under the guidance of Masamune and his students. The blades made in this period were the finest both functionally and artistically
The method of fighting during this period was by individual combat, where one warrior would ride out and challenge a worthy opponent from the other side to engage in mortal combat. However in 1274 and 1281 the Mongols invaded Japan and all this was to change
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