Senguko Period and the Japanese SwordDespite the great leaps the Japanese Sword took during the GoldenAge, the Koto Period would end in the decline in quality of the Katana. Themajor event that shaped this descent in quality was the Senguko Period. Wewill briefly examine this period and the major events that would come to influencethe Japanese Sword.

The Senguko Period (or Warring States Period) would come tobe known as the greatest social upheaval in the history of Japan. For 133Japan would suffer from almost constant military conflicts that would eventuallyspread to all corners of the country. What began as a battle of jealousy wouldcome to engulf the entire country and eventually end in the massive Battleof Sekigahara and establishment of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

The Senguko Period officially began with the Onin War in 1467.Although, there are numerous factors that contributed to the turmoil of theSenguko Period, it was the feud between two men that set off the Warring States.These two men were Hosokawa Katsumoto and Yamana Souzen. Souzen was the fatherin law of Katsumoto but was still jealous of his son in laws success. Katsumotowas a Kanrei, or deputy to the Shogun, and from a much more successful clanthan Souzen. When the Shogun had a son this presented a perfect opportunityfor Souzen cause dissent between himself and Katsumoto. Souzen supported theShogun’s son as the heir to the Shogunate. Katsumoto supported the currentShogun’s brother. Tensions built but fighting was restrained. The Shogun,sensing the oncoming battle between the two men, decreed that the first manto attack the other within Kyoto would be branded a traitor.

In 1467 the tensions between the two men came to a head andKatsumoto attacked Souzen (however, due to Katsumoto’s political maneuveringit would be Souzen who would be branded as a traitor). Open war broke outin Kyoto and would last for a year. By the time the fighting ended Kyoto wasleft in ruins. Neither Katsumoto nor Souzen had won a victory over the other,and in 1473 both men died. However, the fighting continued. From Kyoto theunrest spread to all corners of Japan. Daimyos fought Daimyos and clans foughteach other. In several provinces the peasants and lesser Samurai, tired ofthe wars, revolted and chased out the ruling clans. After 10 years of widespreadfighting the Onin War came to end. The result was 100 more years of unrestin Japan and the beginning of the end for the Ashikaga Shogunate.

The Chaos of the Warring States raged on until the appearanceof Oda Nobunaga. Nobunaga was a ruthless leader who campaigned to bring allof Japan under his control. Originally thought to be mentally unstable, Nobunagawould first take control of his clan, then the country, and finally end theAshikaga Shogunate. Just before his conquest of Japan was complete he wasbetrayed by one of his retainers (Akechi Mitsuhide) and forced to commit Seppuku.

After the death of the Nobunaga Toyotomi Hideyoshi took overthe campaign for the unification of Japan. Toyotomi completed the unificationand finally brought order to Japan. However, this peace would not last. WithHideyoshi’s health failing he assigned the 5 most powerful Daimyos to takeact as regents until his young son came to age. The 5 elders, as they werecalled, collapsed into disputes and eventually war. The final battle of theSenguko Period was the Battle of Sekigahara. This battle was between IeyasuTokugawa and Ishida Mitsunari. By the end of the battle Ishida was defeatedand Tokugawa became the Shogun.

The 133 years that covered the Senguko Period produced a plethoraof warriors. In order for sword smiths to keep up with the growing demandof swords mass production had to be instituted. The result of this was a significantdecrease in the quality of the sword. The days of sword smiths refining theirown steel passed and the with it the legendary strength of the Katana. Manyswords from this period still exist, but most are of low quality. The SengukoPeriod effectively ended the Golden Age of the Sword. Swords of the GoldenAge would never again be seen in Japan.

Swords have been part of the American landscape since before the colonies declared their independence from Great Britain in 1776. Previous to this period, the British government supplied swords and other arms to its American colonies as a way to defend against the French. These weapons remained in good enough condition for the colonies to use them against England at the outbreak of the American Revolution. The first swords used in America were generally described as being forged in 1742, as they were first shown in the British book on military regalia called “Representation of Cloathing of His Majesty’s Forces (sic)”, which was printed in the same year. There were several variations of English swords used at the beginning of the war, including the 1751 British Infantry sword, so called because it was first depicted in a painting of that date. Most of the early English swords were single-edged, slightly curved, and had a false edge that ran about 6-7 inches back from the tip. The hilt of these swords were made of brass, and the grip was generally cast with a spiral pattern, although some examples found had wooden grips wrapped with wire. These swords remained popular with the American troops for several years.When France entered the war on the side of the colonies, some swords came with them. Although nowhere near the quantity as the British, these swords did make an appearance, but were generally reserved for sergeant’s use for the duration of the war, and also several years after. These swords had a short, curved blade with a single edge, and included a false edge that extended down the blade about 5 inches. The grip, pommel, and capstan were cast in one piece.Swords forged in Germany found widespread use in the war, especially those forged in the famous Solingen district. These swords had a straight blade and a double edge, allowing for its wielders to attack in a variety of different ways. The grips were fashioned from very smooth wood, and were generally covered with leather or another variety of animal hide.During the American Revolution, soldiers ranging from militiamen all the way to commanding generals wielded swords. While there were as many as 75 colonial smiths such as Philadelphia’s Samuel Alexander and John Fitch of Trenton, NJ, it was more common for the colonists to use swords that were crafted by more experienced European swordsmiths at this time in America’s history, both because of their quality and their widespread availability.