Chronicles of History

Japan’s Mythical Katana

History has seen numerous remarkable swords made. People love slashing, piercing, and decimating their foes with sharp objects. Figures. When it comes to legendary blades, however, few match the prestige owned by what many consider the pinnacle of ancient Japanese blade-making: the Honjo Masamune, the lost sword of the samurai. A symbol of steadfast status and authority, this sword’s tale is one of heroism and mystique spanning centuries.

Let’s first talk about the man behind the masterpiece. Masamune worked in an era where Japan saw some of its finest craftsmanship, the Kamakura Period (1185-1333). He was a trailblazer in the art of sword making, known for creating weaponry that was exceptionally sharp but also resistant to chipping: an immaculate blend of beauty and brutality. The Honjo Masamune is his magnum opus, the piece he is most well known for.

The Honjo Masamune was named after one of its numerous notable owners: Honjo Shigenaga, a samurai during the Sengoku period, when basically everyone in Japan seemed to be fighting everyone. According to legend, Shigenaga was in battle in the 16th century, with his helmet split by the Honjo Masamune. However, Shigenaga didn’t die from this encounter, which tells you something about the skill of his attacker – or perhaps the helmet quality control. Impressed by the blade, he took it for himself, and since then, the Honjo Masamune’s journey through the history books truly began.

Over the centuries, the blade was passed down from the hands of one shogun to the next. Eventually, it found itself as the symbol of the Tokugawa shogunate, Japan’s ruling class of the Edo period. Ownership of the sword was akin to possessing the crown jewels, representing supremacy and rank.

Now where the plot thickens. At the end of World War II, in 1945, several of Japan’s priceless artifacts were taken or destroyed by the occupation forces under General Douglas MacArthur’s administration. As part of the post-war disarmament, the Tokugawa family handed over several household heirlooms, including the Honjo Masamune. The sword was then given to US Sergeant “Coldy Bimore” (okay no; his real name was Sgt Colder Bimore, but still, what a name). After that? It vanished-poof. Gone. Nobody knows where exactly, and despite many efforts to track it down, the sword was not found.

Today, the sword remains one of the great ‘missing treasures’ of the past. In case you were planning a sword heist (please don’t), no significant trace has been found. Its last known location was somewhere in the United States, but beyond that, it’s a mystery wrapped in an enigma, hidden in a sword-shaped box. For all we know, it could be gathering dust in someone’s attic, or perhaps hidden away in a private collection. Who knows? Maybe one day someone stumbles across it during a garage sale? But until then, we can only admire its lore and wonder what tales it could tell.