The Swordsmiths of Seki
Famed Seki Swords; Do not bend, Do not Break, and Cut Well.
This weekend in Seki City, located in central Gifu Prefecture and approximately 40 kilometers north of Nagoya City, the annual Seki Sword and Cutlery Craft Festival takes place with samurai sword crafting exhibitions, and stalls selling Seki’s famed modern-day cutlery, blades, knifes, implements and more. While samurai swords are the most popular of products, chefs, cooks and hospitality kitchen staff from around the world now look to Seki for the keenest of kitchen knifes and cutlery.
The forging of Swords in Mino Provinces’ Seki region was said to have begun during the Kamakura period, (1185-1333) when Kyushu born blacksmith, Motoshige relocated to Seki, attracted by its abundant timber for pine and chestnut charcoal, clear mountain streams, and more importantly, rich deposits of quality iron sand, the essential ingredients for sword manufacture. Mino Province was also a strategic traffic point linking the Kanto (east) and Kansai (west) provinces and regions and was surrounded by powerful daimyo feudal lords.