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The sword is the symbol of the Tynwald, which is said to be the oldest continuous parliament in the world. The sword signifies the duty of the Sovereign of the Isle of Man, who through the Tynwald, is bound to protect and defend the Manx people from their foes. Without the sword, the Tynwald cannot be deemed to be properly constituted.
The Nihon Bijutsu Tōken Hozon Kyōkai (日本美術刀剣保存協会, 'The Society for Preservation of Japanese Art Swords', NBTHK) is a public interest incorporated foundation established in February 1948 to preserve and promote Japanese swords that have artistic value. They run a Japanese Sword Museum in Tokyo and have a secretariat in the ...
Wazamono (Japanese: 業 （ わざ ） 物 （ もの ）) is a Japanese term that, in a literal sense, refers to an instrument that plays as it should; in the context of Japanese swords and sword collecting, wazamono denotes any sword with a sharp edge that has been tested to cut well, usually by professional sword appraisers via the art of tameshigiri (test cutting).
According to legend, these treasures were brought to Earth by Ninigi-no-Mikoto, legendary ancestor of the Japanese imperial line, when his grandmother, the sun goddess Amaterasu, sent him to pacify Japan. [5] These treasures were eventually said to be passed down to Emperor Jimmu, who was the first Emperor of Japan and Ninigi's great-grandson. [6]
The production of swords in Japan is divided into specific time periods: Jōkotō (ancient swords, until around 900 AD) Kotō (old swords from around 900–1596) Shintō (new swords 1596–1780) Shinshintō (new new swords 1781–1876) Gendaitō (modern swords 1876–1945) [10] Shinsakutō (newly made swords 1953–present) [11]
Archaeological excavations dated the oldest sword in Japan from at least as early as second century B.C. [2]: 4 The Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters) and the Nihon Shoki (History of Japan), ancient texts on early Japanese history and myth that were compiled in the eighth century A.D., describe iron swords and swordsmanship that pre-date recorded history, attributed to the mythological age of ...
The Important Cultural Property of Japan, established in 1950, also includes items, including swords, "judged to be of particular importance to the Japanese people". [ 44 ] The Important Works of Fine Arts of Japan, established in 1933, include arts and crafts of significant historical or artistic value, and thus include a great number of swords.
The Chrysanthemum and the Sword: Patterns of Japanese Culture is a 1946 study of Japan by American anthropologist Ruth Benedict compiled from her analyses of Japanese culture during World War II for the U.S. Office of War Information. Her analyses were requested in order to understand and predict the behavior of the Japanese during the war by ...