The curved steel blades gleamed in the soft gallery lighting, as sharp and vicious-looking as when each was forged hundreds of years ago. The swords were the primary weapons of the samurai, the ...

The Japanese sword, often epitomized by the katana, is more than just a weapon. It is a symbol of Japan’s rich cultural history, craftsmanship, and the ideals of the samurai who wielded it. Known for ...

Samurai swords may be some of the sharpest blades ever made, but many were never drawn in anger. A new exhibit called “Samurai and the Culture of Japan’s Great Peace” shows that samurai were not only ...

NARA, Japan — They were once weapons of war. The most famous blades from Japan's rich history. Legendary swords that date back a thousand years or more. Travel across the country and you will see them ...

The relic may have been a gift from a 19th-century Japanese mission to Prussia. Detailed view of the grip clamp with the motif of Daikoku, a Japanese god. Photo: Berlin State Office for Monument ...

Though their meticulously crafted battle armor and elaborate helmets shaped into utterly frightening countenances could fill the hearts of any foe with terror, Japan's famous samurai warriors also had ...

Few weapons in history carry the same level of respect, symbolism, and artistic mastery as Samurai Swords. More than simple tools of combat, these legendary blades represent honor, discipline, loyalty ...

LE CENTER, Minn. — For decades the sword gathered dust among the canned goods in a Minnesota basement. The residents of the home didn't know what they had. Turns out the sword once belonged to a ...

The Honjo Masamune is perhaps the greatest Japanese sword ever made. Forged in the 13th century by the great swordsmith Masamune it became the ceremonial sword of the ruling Tokugawa shoguns for 250 ...

TOKYO, Japan — In Narita City, just east of Tokyo, one of the oldest Japanese martial arts skills is still being taught. "This teaching is called Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu," said Otake Risuke. ...

LE CENTER — Jeff Traxler has long had collections of World War II and other military memorabilia, but a samurai sword he got decades ago in lieu of payment for construction work and displayed for ...