The New Generation of Japanese Swordsmiths by Tamio Tsuchiko

Hardcover, 250 pages, over 100 photographs. Divided into three parts, Part one provides a context of sword history, from the types of blades, their respective periods, and the prominent styles of workmanship. Diagrams accompany explanations of key terminology. In Part two, Tsuchiko visits twenty gendai-tosho, revealing their thoughts, experiences and aims. In Part Three, Tsuchiko presents in-depth interviews with three of the leading figures of the sword society: Akitsugu Amata (Living National Treasure swordsmith); Kokan Nagayama (Living National Treasure sword polisher); and Mitsuo Shibata (Japan's most influential sword dealer).