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Legendary 1,000-Year-Old Katana Still Looks as Flawless as When It Was First Constructed

By Sara Barnes on March 2, 2020

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A post shared by 宮下孝徳 (@miyashita_takanori) on Oct 5, 2019 at 6:55am PDT

Make your way to the Tokyo National Museum and you’ll see a beautifully constructed katana that still looks flawless despite being 1,000 years old. Known as the Mikazuki Munechika, this special sword was crafted by the legendary Sanjo Munechika. He was considered one of Japan’s most skilled swordsmiths in the Heian period (794 to 1185 CE). Munechika was so fond of his creation that he attached his name to it—in addition to the term mikazuki, which is the Japanese word for “crescent moon.”

So, why is this katana named crescent moon? It has to do with a motif found on the blade. The process of creating a katana requires that the sword get very hot and then rapidly cools. Called quenching and tempering, this technique strengthens and hardens the steel. In doing so, it causes there to be unique markings on the material. The Mikazuki Munechika has symbols that look like halved moons.

During its long history, the katana has been in the possession of some powerful people. Its former owners include the 16th-century samurai warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi and the Tokugawa shoguns who ruled during the Edo period (1600 to 1868 CE). Since being acquired by the country's national institution, you can find it on display in certain themed exhibitions.