Polishing can not stand out more than the sword itself
Bring out the best side of the sword. There is no such thing as a 'perfect' finish ever.
It is all part of the learning
Hey guys and girls on Ask Japanese it's your flashy fashion reporter CathyCat
We are featuring everything you need to know about Japanese katanas, Japanese swords
We have come to the place of a LEGENDAIRY katana polisher and sharpener
He is a legend and he has been taking on a lot of disciples to join him in his trade
He is going to OK us to interview him today
Let's find out why it is NOT one person but several who will make the perfect Japanese sword. Let's go
Alright this is the work room of the master
I am in your care master, my name is CathyCat - Nice to meet you
His name is Hitoaki Manazu and he is a living legendary sword polisher in Japan
He had handles thousands of katana swords in his career and helped polishing them
Sometimes he breathes new life into old katanas
And sometimes he helps creating new katanas
In Japanese history katanas have been treated as a weapon
But sometimes are also dedicated to the gods as a treasure
or preserved as art objects
At his workplace in Osaka, Master Manazu is polishing swords still in the old traditional way.
His hands tell stories about his profession. They are covered in cuts from the Katanas and sharper stones
Also they are partially died in gray by the stones and steels he uses
His work is about Katana polishing and so much more
He has the best eyes in the world to value a katana's quality and worth
And today we are allowed to ask him questions so let's go and ask a traditional Japanese katana polisher
How many years have you practiced your profession?
I started when I was 15 and I will be 72 this year so about 57 years
What is your polisher specialty?
The polishing should not stand out more than the sword itself
It should not stand out, but rather draw out the character of the sword
Cover the things that do not look good on the sword, like makeup. - Makeup!
I am like a sword's Makeup artist
In recent years more people are interested in Japanese swords
Some are even more interested than Japanese people
That is why I have apprentices from around the world and I get invited to events abroad.
My work has become very global
I am glad more people are learning about the meaning and shape of Japanese swords
Globality is necessary for Japanese swords
What are Japanese katana within Japanese culture?
They were first born as weapons
And they were used in order to protect someone
But even in those days they were not just a weapon
they also symbolized a family's status and were the treasure of a household
Some had to have a sword in their family treasures
Not sure for using, but also to learn about
They are a part of the heart of a Japanese's person.
How many swords have you handled?
1000-2000 at least
Have you handled famous swords?
I had swords that used to belong to the Shogun
It is a special honor and price for a sword polisher to touch historical artifacts with our bare hands
Can I ask an anime question?
You said legendary swords, are there cursed swords too?
If I had a 6th sense maybe I would have felt that but I didn't notice a thing
Maybe sensitive people pic up on things like that, but not in my case. I am glad about that
Among your apprentices, are the women too? - There are
Recently it has become more normal for women to do this profession
Women have a different eye, and they are good with delicate details
I can tell when a person is made to become a good polisher
I think that is one good thing about women polishers
Are there common errors that people believe in abroad and here?
In movies you see a tissue fall on top of a blade and it cuts it in half
Nothing cuts like that. That is a lie in movies.
That is impossible. Many also think polishing a sword and a knife is the same
Polishing a Japanese sword though takes two weeks
But a kitchen knife only takes a few minutes
They are very different, and the types of stones that are necessary are different too.\
Very different
What is the most rewarding about your profession?
Using my profession to revive a sword again
hearing the surprised voices of my customers when they see what their sword can look like
Those moments make me the happiest.
That is, because I polish with the intention of making their precious item better
Hearing their impressions, that is enough for me.
My aim is to get a sword to 90%
There is no such thing as a perfect polish
In all my work, I never consider any of them perfect
Even when handing it over, I will still criticize my own work
Customers will not see any flaws, but I will always see them
That is why I will learn until I die.
Master Manazu is really breathing and living the life of a professional katana polisher
And there is so much knowledge that he is willing to share with us today
I am actually going to get a chance to give it a go
Let's try and see what Japanese traditional katana polishing looks like
There are a lot of things around the workshop that I don't know what they are so let's find out
Could you please explain?
This whole construction is called a polishing boat
That is my workplace. - Boat!
It is sloped - so the water can run off easier
There are dozen of polishing stones. Which is used when?
Start at the left and then work through all of them till you get to the right
You start left and then go right
This stone for example is called Uchigomori
This stone can only be found in one place in the world, in Kyoto
With the movement of the earth's structure it just happened that this stone surfaced in Kyoto
You can look for it anywhere in the world, it only exists in Kyoto
This stone is used last to complete a Japanese sword
If you do not have this stone, you cannot finish a Japanese sword
I keep looking at your polishing boat, can I step into it? - You wanna give it a go?
Sit down - sorry to intrude
Stepping on
And now??
But your left cheek on this stool
Is your dress going to be ok? - Don't worry!
If you work, you get dirty that is normal
Step on this with your right foot
Put your foot on it - Like that? - No that is wrong
Step on that block. - This block - That is right
And your left food onto the wooden stick - I am so sorry to intrude
Is this the right posture - About right
Your body weight is on this stick, that is why the stone will not move now
This is the FUMAIRI that keeps the polishing stones in place
I gotta step on this to keep it from moving
Hold the sword. - It comes without a hilt? - Yes
I take the hilt off, and only revel the blade like this - aaah
This is a real sword - The real deal
It can cut you right now, it cuts well. - It cuts well....
I will be careful
The blade will cut, but not the other side
Hold it like this - Like that? - No hold the blade like this - WHAT
This is actually less dangerous - Is that so?
And then move it sideways - Like this - Yes this is the right angle
You are so close to the blade
And that is when you use the water
Am I doing it right? - Yes
Can you see the black stuff that came out? - Is that alright? - It is a sign you are polishing it
It shows I am polishing - And you use that to polish further too
The black stuff comes between the stone and the sword and helps polish it
It makes a metallic cutting noise
Can I actually ruin this sword? - No worries
It cannot happen with this type of stone, that is why I selected this one - Thank you
It feels kind of cool. I like the sound the blade is making on top of the stone
I have the watchful eyes of my sensei here over me who
who gives me advice from time to time. I can tell why some people come here
And want to learn his trade
Come scoop.... thank you so much master
I look like I am a stage hand
Ok hold it up - Hold on my hands are still wet - That is ok hold it to the light
Have a look at your sword... you got it
Beautiful
Oh wow
the speed and the pressure is completely different when the master does it
After many years you can tell. Many years of experience I can tell I like that he is so open
There are a lot of Japanese traditions that are very closed and they don't let new people enter
or women enter or foreigners enter
In this way he is very special because he is so open and wants people to be interested in his trade
He is open to talk about it and spread the love for Japanese swordsmanship around the world.
If you are lucky he might come to one of your countries in the future\
If you come here, he is located in Osaka, you might be able to learn something about his trade too
That openness is very appreciated and it's good to have people who then
come and spread the interest around the world
That was out report today, guys we have done more about swordsmanship, the first step
about making a Japanese sword, there is a video, be sure to check that one out
So you know actually where the start of this is.
Many people work together to make a Japanese sword, if you are interested in Japanese sword making
Be sure to check out that video to kickstart you into how it is actually made nowadays and with the traditional tools and you can see
they are still using very traditional tools as well. Thanks so much for checking us out and I see you in the next video
Thank you - Thank you so much!