army. To put this army to use, Hideyoshi made two unsuccessful invasions of Korea and China, first in 1592 and again in 1597. During this period, Hideyoshi made his capital in Osaka. All arts, including the making of swords and mountings, flourished.
7. EDO (TOKUGAWA) PERIOD (1603 to 1867). After Hideyoshi’s death and following the battle of Sekigahara (September 1600), power shifted from the Toyotomi clan to Tokugawa Ieyasu. The Tokugawa clan ruled all of Japan from their capital in Edo, or present-day Tokyo, for more than 250 years. At the beginning of this period, the Tokugawas, in order to perpetuate the shogunate system and make it capable of functioning smoothly under ordinary leadership, established fundamental laws for the shoguns, the nobles, and the samurais. They also adopted a closed-door policy toward foreign countries. A unique and rigid class system, which divided the people into daimyo, samurai, farmer, artisan, and merchant, was established and carried on during this period. The long and relatively peaceful Tokugawa period came to an end in the early nineteenth century, when foreign powers attempted to open Japan to outside commerce. It was at this time that the Sotozama daimyos, the descendants of the lords who had made peace with Tokugawa after the battle of Sekigahara, arose in opposition to the shogunate.
8. MODERN PERIOD (since 1868). Emperor Meiji, the 122nd descendant of Emperor Jimmu, aided by the Sotozama daimyos, regained sovereignty from the Tokugawa clan and moved the capital to Tokyo in 1868. Shortly thereafter (1876) wearing of the sword was prohibited by national decree.
Legend has it that the swordsmith Amakuni made the first samurai sword in Yamato about A.D. 700. Although there is no historical proof of this, the legend seems logical, since some of the earliest swords found today can be traced back to the swordsmith Yasutsana, of Hôki, and date from about 900. Amakuni was the head of a group of sword smiths who were all employed at that time in making swords for the emperor and his warriors (Fig. 2).
One day Amakuni and his son, Amakura, were standing in the doorway of their shop, watching the soldiers as they returned from battle. The emperor passed by but did not give Amakuni any sign of recognition as he had done on previous occasions. Amakuni had always looked upon these gestures as a sign of appreciation for his efforts. Then he suddenly noticed that nearly half of the returning soldiers were carrying broken swords.
Fig. 2. Swordsmiths at work.
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