is the legendary

swordsmith Bladesmithing is the art of making knives, swords, daggers and other blades using a forge, hammer, anvil, and other smithing tools. Bladesmiths employ a variety of metalworking techniques similar to those used by blacksmiths, as well as woodworkin ...

who supposedly created the first single-edged longsword (

tachi A is a type of traditionally made Japanese sword (''nihonto'') worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan. ''Tachi'' and ''katana'' generally differ in length, degree of curvature, and how they were worn when sheathed, the latter depending on t ...

) with curvature along the edge in the

Yamato Province was a province of Japan, located in Kinai, corresponding to present-day Nara Prefecture in Honshū. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric (2005). "Yamato" in . It was also called . Yamato consists of two characters, 大 "great", and 和 " Wa". At first, the ...

around 700 AD. He was the head of a group of swordsmiths employed by the

Emperor of Japan The Emperor of Japan is the monarch and the head of the Imperial House of Japan, Imperial Family of Japan. Under the Constitution of Japan, he is defined as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, and his positio ...

to make weapons for his warriors. His son, Amakura, was the successor to his work. Although there are almost no modern examples of signed works by Amakuni, legend has it that the double-edged katana,

Kogarasu Maru The ''Kogarasu Maru'' (小烏丸), or "''Little Crow Circle'', is a unique Japanese tachi sword believed to have been created by legendary Japanese smith Amakuni during the 8th century AD. Blade classification and history ''Kissaki Moroha Zu ...

, was forged by this man. The true author of this work is not known, though the work bears similarities to works of the various Yamato schools so it is thought to be an early example of work from this province.http://www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/cms/lib/NC01001395/Centricity/Domain/813/Legends%20of%20the%20Samurai.dot

The legend

One day, Amakuni and his son, Amakura, were standing in the doorway of their shop, watching the Emperor's

warrior A warrior is a person specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracies, class, or caste. History Warriors seem to have been p ...

s return from battle. Although having done so on previous occasions, the Emperor did not give Amakuni any sign of recognition. Having always looked upon these gestures as a sign of appreciation for his efforts and hard work, Amakuni suddenly noticed that nearly half of the returning warriors were carrying broken

sword A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed ti ...

s. Determined to make things right, Amakuni and Amakura went about gathering remnants of the swords and examined them. It appeared that the chief reasons for breakage were that the swords had been improperly forged and that the soldiers had struck hard objects, probably armor or other weapons, with them. Once again, the Emperor's subtle yet audible rebuff ran through his mind. Tears filled Amakuni's eyes, and he said to himself, "If they are going to use our swords for such slashing, I shall make one that will not break." With this vow, Amakuni and his son sealed themselves away in the

forge A forge is a type of hearth used for heating metals, or the workplace (smithy) where such a hearth is located. The forge is used by the smith to heat a piece of metal to a temperature at which it becomes easier to shape by forging, or to th ...

and prayed for seven days and seven nights to the

Shinto Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintois ...

gods. Amakuni then selected the best iron sand ore he could obtain and refined it into

steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...

. Working without rest, the two worked at their apparently impossible task. Thirty one days later, Amakuni and his son emerged gaunt and weary from the forge with a single-edged sword with curvature. Undaunted by the other swordsmiths, who believed them to be insane, Amakuni and Amakura ground and polished the new sword. During the following months, Amakuni and his son continued with their work, forging many types of improved swords. In the following spring, there was another war. Again the

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

returned, and as they passed by, he counted over thirty-one swords with perfect, intact blades. As the Emperor passed, he smiled and said, "You are an expert swordmaker. None of the swords you have made failed in this battle." Amakuni rejoiced and once more felt that life was full and joyous. It is not known when Amakuni died, though legend has it that he gained immortality from the large amount of blood shed from the blades he created.

References

{{reflist Japanese mythology Japanese swordsmiths Date of death unknown Date of birth unknown