Editing Japanese sword (section)

=== Classification by school ===
Many old Japanese swords can be traced back to one of five provinces, each of which had its own school, traditions, and "trademarks" (e.g., the swords from Mino province were "from the start famous for their sharpness"). These schools are known as ''Gokaden'' (The Five Traditions).<ref>{{cite book | title = The Connoisseur's Book of Japanese Swords | isbn = 4-7700-2071-6 | year = 1997 | publisher = Kodansha International | first = Kokan | last = Nagayama | page = 217 }}</ref> In the ''Kotō'' era there were several other schools that did not fit within the Five Traditions or were known to mix elements of each ''Gokaden'', and they were called {{transliteration|ja|wakimono}} (small school). There were 19 commonly referenced {{transliteration|ja|wakimono}}. The number of swordsmiths of ''Gokaden'', as confirmed by signatures and documents, were 4005 in Bizen, 1269 in Mino, 1025 in Yamato, 847 in Yamashiro and 438 in Sōshū.<ref name="rekishi200964">''歴史人'' September 2020. pp.64–65. {{ASIN|B08DGRWN98}}</ref> These traditions and provinces are as follows:

====Yamato school====
[[File:Tachi - Shishio.jpg|thumb|300px|A Yamato school ''tachi'', ''Shishiō''. 12th century, [[Heian period]]. [[Important Cultural Property (Japan)|Important Cultural Property]].]]
The Yamato school is a school that originated in [[Yamato Province]] corresponding to present-day [[Nara Prefecture]]. Nara was the capital of ancient Japan.
Since there is a legend that it was a swordsmith named [[Amakuni]] who first signed the tang of a sword, he is sometimes regarded as the founder and the oldest school.
However, the founder identified in the material is Yukinobu in the [[Heian period]]. They forged the swords that were often worn by monk warriors called ''[[sōhei]]'' in Nara's large temples. The Yamato school consists of five schools: ''Senjuin, Shikkake, Taima, Tegai, and Hōshō''.
Each school forged swords under the supervision of a different temple. In the middle of the [[Muromachi period]], swordsmiths moved to various places such as [[Mino province|Mino]], and the school disappeared. Their swords are often characterized by a deep curve, a narrow width from blade to back, a high central ridge, and a small tip. There are direct lines on the surface of the blade, the ''[[Hamon (swordsmithing)|hamon]]'' is linear, and the grain at the boundary of the hamon is medium in size. It is often evaluated as a sword with a simple and strong impression.<ref name="rekishi200966">''歴史人'' September 2020. pp.66–67. {{ASIN|B08DGRWN98}}</ref>
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====Yamashiro school====
[[File:三日月宗近, Tachi Mikazuki Munechika.jpg|thumb|300px|A Yamashiro ''Sanjō'' school ''tachi'', ''Mikazuki Munechika'', by Sanjō Munechika. Late 10th century, Heian period. [[National Treasure (Japan)|National Treasure]]. This sword is one of the "[[Tenka-Goken|Five Swords under Heaven]]".]]
The Yamashiro school is a school that originated in [[Yamashiro Province]], corresponding to present-day [[Kyoto Prefecture]]. When [[Emperor Kanmu]] relocated the capital to [[Kyoto]] in 794, swordsmiths began to gather. The founder of the school was Sanjō Munechika in the late 10th century in the Heian period. The Yamashiro school consisted of schools such as ''Sanjō, Ayanokōji, Awataguchi, and Rai''. At first, they often forged swords in response to aristocrats' demands, so importance was placed on aesthetics and practicality was not emphasized. However, when a domestic conflict occurred at the end of the Heian period, practicality was emphasized and a swordsmith was invited from the Bizen school. In the [[Kamakura period]], ''tachi'' from a magnificent ''rai'' school became popular among samurai. After that, they also adopted the forging method of Sōshū school. Their swords are often characterized as long and narrow, curved from the base or center, and have a sparkle on the surface of the blade, with the ''hamon'' being straight and the grains on the boundary of the ''hamon'' being small. It is often evaluated as a sword with an elegant impression.<ref name="rekishi200968">''歴史人'' September 2020. pp.68–69. {{ASIN|B08DGRWN98}}</ref>
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====Bizen school====
[[File:Tachi Sword - Nagamitsu.JPG|thumb|300px|A Bizen ''Osafune'' school ''tachi'', by Nagamitsu. 13th century, [[Kamakura period]]. National Treasure.]]
The Bizen school is a school that originated in [[Bizen Province]], corresponding to present-day [[Okayama Prefecture]]. Bizen has been a major production area of high-quality iron sand since ancient times. The Ko-bizen school in the mid Heian period was the originator. The Bizen school consisted of schools such as ''Ko-bizen, Fukuoka-ichimonji, Osafune,'' and ''Hatakeda''.
According to a sword book written in the Kamakura period, out of the 12 best swordsmiths in Japan who were convened by the Retired [[Emperor Go-Toba]], 10 were from the Bizen school.
Great swordsmiths were born one after another in the ''Osafune'' school which started in the Kamakura period, and it developed to the largest school in the history of Japanese swords.
Kanemitsu and Nagayoshi of the ''Osafune'' school were apprentices to [[Masamune]] of the Sōshū school, the greatest swordsmith in Japan. While they forged high-quality swords by order, at the same time, from the Muromachi period, when wars became large-scale, they mass-produced low-quality swords for drafted farmers and for export.
The Bizen school had enjoyed the highest prosperity for a long time, but declined rapidly due to a great flood which occurred in the late 16th century during the [[Sengoku period]]. Their swords are often characterized as curved from the base, with irregular fingerprint-like patterns on the surface of the blade, while the ''hamon'' has a flashy pattern like a series of [[clove]]s, and there is little grain but a color gradient at the boundary of the ''hamon''. It is often evaluated as a sword with a showy and gorgeous impression.<ref name="rekishi200970">''歴史人'' September 2020. pp.70–71. {{ASIN|B08DGRWN98}}</ref>
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====Sōshū school====
[[File:Katana - Kiriha Sadamune.jpg|thumb|300px|A Sōshū school ''katana'' modified from a ''tachi'', ''Kiriha Sadamune'', by [[Hikoshiro Sadamune|Sadamune]], son of [[Masamune]]. 14th century, Kamakura period. Important Cultural Property.]]
The Sōshū school is a school that originated in [[Sagami Province]], corresponding to present-day [[Kanagawa Prefecture]]. Sagami Province was the political center of Japan where the [[Kamakura shogunate]] was established in the Kamakura period. At the end of the 13th century, the Kamakura shogunate invited swordsmiths from Yamashiro school and Bizen school, and swordsmiths began to gather. [[Shintōgo Kunimitsu]] forged experimental swords by combining the forging technology of Yamashiro school and Bizen school. [[Masamune]], who learned from Shintōgo Kunimitsu, became the greatest swordsmith in Japan. From the lessons of the [[Mongol invasion of Japan]], they revolutionized the forging process to make stronger swords. Although this forging method is not fully understood to date, one of the elements is heating at higher temperatures and rapid cooling. Their revolution influenced other schools to make the highest quality swords, but this technique was lost before the [[Azuchi–Momoyama period]] (''Shintō'' period). The Sōshū school declined after the fall of the Kamakura shogunate. Their swords are often characterized by a shallow curve, a wide blade to the back, and a thin cross-section. There are irregular fingerprint-like patterns on the surface of the blade, the ''hamon'' has a pattern of undulations with continuous roundness, and the grains at the boundary of the ''hamon'' are large.<ref name="rekishi200972">''歴史人'' September 2020. pp.72–73. {{ASIN|B08DGRWN98}}</ref>

====Mino school====
[[File:刀 関（孫六）兼元, Katana forged by Seki Kanemoto (Magoroku Kanemoto).jpg|thumb|300px|A Mino school ''katana'', by Seki Kanemoto (Magoroku Kanemoto). 16th century, [[Muromachi period]].]]
The Mino school is a school that originated in [[Mino Province]], corresponding to present-day [[Gifu Prefecture]]. Mino Province was a strategic traffic point connecting the [[Kantō region|Kanto]] and [[Kansai region|Kansai]] regions, and was surrounded by powerful ''[[daimyo]]'' (feudal lords). The Mino school started in the middle of the Kamakura period, when swordsmiths of the Yamato school who learned from the Sōshū school gathered in Mino. The Mino school became the largest production area of Japanese swords after the Bizen school declined due to a great flood. The production rate of ''katana'' was high, because it was the newest school among five big schools. Their swords are often characterized by a slightly higher central ridge and a thinner back. There are irregular fingerprint-like patterns on the surface of the blade, the ''hamon'' are various, and the grain on the border of the hamon are hardly visible.<ref name="rekishi200974">''歴史人'' September 2020. pp.74–75. {{ASIN|B08DGRWN98}}</ref>
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