Cursed. Blood-thirsty. Demonic. An Oni-possessed swordsmith. Call it as you like, but Muramasa swords are some of the most famous samurai weapons. Celebrated for their remarkable durability and unequaled razor-sharpness, Muramasa swords inspired fear while helping shape Japanese history.
But who is the man behind these creations and the school that continued his legacy? Is there truth to the sword’s curse, or was it merely a tall tale? Join us in exploring the answers to these riddles and a few others to understand the genius swordsmith behind these mystic creations.
Muramasa: The Man, the School, and His Philosophy
Understanding the terrifying legends of the demonic swords (are they real or folklore?) requires diving deep into the man, his philosophies, and the school he founded to continue his legacy.
The Man behind the Cursed Swords
Just as Muramasa swords had a dark and mystical reputation, the man who started it all – Sengo Muramasa – was equally mysterious. No written records about his given name or place of origin exist. Most historians say the first Muramasa was born between 1489 and 1501, placing him during the Muromachi Period. The name “Sengo” could have been a place name (although no records support this claim) or the shortened name of “Senju no ko” after the bodhisattva “Senju Kannon” whom Muramasa I’s mother worshipped.
Some say Sengo Muramasa was a student of Gyoro Nyudo Masamune, Japan’s greatest swordsmith. However, Masamune only lived until 1343, more than 150 years before Muramasa allegedly was born. Others say he was an apprentice of a prominent Kyoto swordsmith, Heianjo Nagayoshi, known for deadly and artistic spears. A Muramasa school branch, the Masashige, says Nagayoshi died in 1456, which meant that Muramasa was already alive (and active) before that.
The School Few Knew
Just as we know very little about Sengo Muramasa, we can say the same about his school – the Muramasa. Scholars believe it started sometime in 1501. However, other researchers dispute this by saying some pre-1501 swords had Muramasa inscriptions on their tang (although without year signs).
No one knows when the school disappeared, either. While some Muramasa swords have the Kanbun year sign, suggesting they were smithed between 1661 and 1673, nobody knows when the school ceased making these swords.
The Implied Philosophy of a Mysterious Swordsmith
Like the man himself, we don’t know anything about his philosophies. However, we can deduce from his works his motivations for creating formidable weapons and becoming one of the most famous Japanese swordsmiths in history.
Function Over Form: Muramasa’s Pursuit of Lethal Perfection
Two words to describe Muramasa blades! Sharp and strong! Sure, other Samurai swords are sharp (including the Honjo Masamune that can split an iron kobuto in two). However, Muramasa’s have extremely sharp edges perfect for slashing and cutting.
This design implies Muramasa’s swordsmithing philosophy, focusing on utility and practicality. It didn’t matter that his swords weren’t intricately decorated. What matters is how they work on the battlefield. Muramasa understands the needs of warriors during the violent Sengoku era, where a samurai’s survival depended on his martial prowess.
Relentless Craftsmanship and Innovation
Creating super-sharp blades and swords that can withstand the rigors of battle can only come from the relentless pursuit of continuous refinement. It’s like the Japanese management philosophy of Kaizen, where incremental improvements are necessary to ensure optimum quality.
The Muramasa school introduced, experimented, and refined techniques for enhancing their blades’ sharpness and durability. It underscores their commitment to technical excellence, which suggests that Muramasa is a perfectionist. It’s plausible that Muramasa advocated for swords that are not only functional but also reliable and enduring in combat.
Unyielding Spirit: Muramasa’s “Cursed” Reputation
Many view Muramasa’s swords as “cursed” because these weapons often drive their wielders to violence or bloodlust. They believe this observation is an extension of Muramasa’s philosophy. People say the swordsmith instilled a kind of unyielding or relentless energy into his blades, giving them an unquenchable thirst for blood.
However, Muramasa’s perfectionism is a more valid explanation. A person who never tires of perfecting his craft will also get the curious looks of others, maybe even getting labeled as “crazy.” The point is that Muramasa strongly believed that a sword should embody the Samurai spirit – decisive, relentless, and deadly!
Martial Ideals of Power and Fear
The Muromachi Period (and the Sengoku Period) is hardly the Edo Period, known for its relative stability and peace. It is possible that Muramasa wanted to create swords that were not only effective in battle but also symbolize dominance and intimidation.
Imagine coming face to face with a samurai wielding a “blood-thirsty” sword. You would be scared, too. Hence, we can deduce that Muramasa was a master of psychological warfare, using his swords to instill fear among enemies and subdue them without bloodshed.
Balance between Beauty and Destruction
Although Muramasa weapons are primarily utilitarian and functional, Muramasa’s attention to technical perfection can also lead to intricate temper line (hamon) patterns. Even without trying, Muramasa’s unyielding pursuit of the sharpest and strongest sword on the battlefield has resulted in some of the most beautiful swords.
Muramasa During the Muromachi Period: The Need for Sharp and Durable Swords
Muromachi Period Samurai on Wikimedia.
The Muromachi Period, from 1336 to 1573, was an era of contrasts, like Muramasa’s aesthetically beautiful yet blood-thirsty deadly swords. On one hand, the arts, trade, and culture flourished. On the other hand, too much political bickering and jockeying for power undermined the Shogunate.
It started when Ashikaga Takauji, one of the most famous Japanese samurai, overthrew Emperor Go-Daigo and established the Akashagi Shogunate. Unlike the Kamakura Period (1185-1333), Akashagi chose to empower regional warlords or daimyos to decentralize governance. That proved to be a costly mistake.
Decentralization transferred power to the daimyos, doing as they pleased and often warring against each other for control over vast expanses of land. More importantly, they openly challenged the Shogunate, leading to the Onin War of 1467 to 1477, which effectively ended the Ashikaga Shogunate and ushered in more intense rivalries during the following Sengoku Period (which is still relatively a part of the Muromachi Period).
A regional warlord can only be effective if he has the unwavering support of retainers and the samurai class. And since diplomacy was never a tool for expanding one’s domain, encroaching on other daimyos’ lands, they needed formidable weapons.
It is within this context that Muramasa unleashed his swordsmithing prowess at a local Kuwana shop in Ise Province (present-day Mie Prefecture). Although Kuwana was a small town, it was home to many shrines and temples, with locals calling it “the land of the Gods.” It was perhaps the town’s peaceful and tranquil nature that many swordsmiths chose not to set up shop in this place. Not Muramasa. We must also point out that Kuwana is a port town and is close to Mikawa Province (present-day Aichi Prefecture). This observation is crucial because Mikawa is the home province of the Matsudaira clan. One of the clan’s most prominent figures was Matsudaira Motoyasu, who would become one of Japan’s “Three Great Unifiers” – Tokugawa Ieyasu (Motuyasu changed his name).
Old map showing Kuwana, Murasama’s workshop location by Peter Dekker on Mandarin Mansion Antiques.
Muramasa and his school refined known swordsmithing techniques to create the sharpest and most durable swords on the battlefield to support the growing need of warring daimyos and their samurai for more robust Japanese samurai swords.
The Cursed Swords of Muramasa: Fact, Fiction, and Folklore
It is difficult to discuss Muramasa without touching on his cursed swords or even demonic swords. It’s like a scar one cannot get rid of – a symbolism forever etched into the mind. However, is there a grain of truth to Muramasa’s bloodthirsty swords, or are they mere fabrications of someone or some people out to discredit the great swordsmith?
Nearly everyone, especially high-ranking officials and daimyos of the shogunate, wanted a Muramasa for its exquisite sharpness and unquestionable reliability on the battlefields. Would you bring a dull sword to combat? Although the cutting and slashing abilities of these swords are legendary, they are limited by the wielder’s martial prowess. Put a Muramasa in the hands of a skilled samurai and it should be no problem. Give it to a sub-par warrior, and its ultra-sharp blade can be deadly when not used properly.
It is worth pointing out that Muramasa swords are the favorite of the Mikawa Clan Samurai, led by the “Great Unifier” Tokugawa Ieyasu. Because these weapons were so deadly, Mikawa samurai used them in combat, especially in the latter stages of the Sengoku Period. Naturally, many enemies died at the hands of these Muramasa-wielding samurai. This observation strengthened people’s beliefs that Muramasa swords are cursed.
Portrait of Tokugawa Ieyasu who owned 2 Muramasa swords by Kano Tan’yu on Wikimedia.
The Muramasa swords’ widespread use meant that any “misfortune” or “accident” befalling their wielders or anyone who came in contact with the sword could be interpreted as a casualty of the sword’s demonic or cursed nature.
For example, Tokugawa Ieyasu’s grandfather, Matsudaira Kiyoyasu, was mistakenly killed by Abe Masatoyo, one of Kiyoyasu’s vassals. And then there was Matsudaira Hirotada (Ieyasu’s father) who was killed by the drunbk Iwamatsu Hachiya. Ieyasu’s first-born, Matsudaira Nobuyasu performed seppuku with the coup de grace delivered by Amagata Michitsuna. All incidents involved a Muramasa blade.
Scholars believe the high-profile nature of these Muramasa-related incidents could have contributed to propagating the belief that Muramasa swords are cursed swords. They argue that if the victims were relatively unknown (not related to Tokugawa Ieyasu or other high-ranking officials), no one would create stories about a cursed blade.
It is worth pointing out that Tokugawa Ieyasu recognized the remarkable quality of Muramasa swords as formidable weapons. The famous shogun owned two Muramasa-forged swords, one of which remains an heirloom with the modern-day Owari-Tokugawa family. Ieyasu’s top generals also wielded Muramasa blades, including Honda Tadakatsu (tonbogiri) and Sakai Tadatsugu (inoshishi-giri).
Unfortunately, later Tokugawa generations didn’t share Ieyasu’s enthusiasm and appreciation for Muramasa swords. To them, such swords are a harbinger of death to the Tokugawa clan. Unsurprisingly, many anti-Tokugawa activists wanted Muramasa blades during the Bakumatsu Period (1853-1868) because such swords would help them eliminate the Shogunate. Even Prince Arisugawa Taruhito was known to wield Muramasa during the Boshin War just before the Meiji Restoration.
Sadly, this increased demand meant that Muramasa forgeries abound.
Signature Attributes of a Muramasa Sword
Because Muramasa swords are celebrated for their exceptional sharpness (and a “cursed” or “demonic” nature), many sought to replicate these blades. Sadly, only Muramasa or a Muramasa-trained swordsmith can impart the following characteristics to a genuine Muramasa sword.
Muramasa-ba
A gunome-midare, a signature characteristic of Muramasa swords on Romance of Men.
A distinguishing feature of a genuine Muramasa is its randomized wave-shaped hamon (gunome-midare), with unique long and shallow valleys between wave shapes. The hataraki differential tempering-related patterns featured a well-defined nioi. Lastly, Muramasa’s hamon temperlines are nearly symmetrical duplicates, which can only come from precision technical skills – something forgers cannot replicate.
Muramasa-nakago
The nakago or tang of a Japanese sword on Samurai Museum Shop.
Another distinguishing feature of the Muramasa is the shape of its tang or nakago. While other swordsmiths form their blade’s tang tapered or somewhat straight, Muramasa chose a different route. His nakago is fish belly-shaped (tanagobara), which boosts the blade’s stability with the hilt or tsuka.
Muramasa Swords and Pop Culture
Whether one believes in the Muramasa curse, there’s no denying the legendary swordsmith and his creations have stirred national (and global) consciousness. From old-school kabuki plays, anime, and manga to film depictions, video games, and other popular culture channels, Muramasa’s legacy lives on.
A Tale of Sano Jirozaemon play depicting the bloodthirsty Muramasa sword on Wikimedia.
For instance, “Muramasa: The Demon Blade” is an RPG leveling video game inspired by the exploits of warriors wielding Muramasa swords. Other popular titles include “Nioh,” “Metal Gear Rising,” “Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice,” and “Final Fantasy.” These games might not feature Muramasa swords, but their violent (read, bloodthirsty) themes owe their creation to the Muramasa curse.
“Full Metal Daemon: Muramasa,” “Demon Slayer,” and “Bleach” also feature elements reminiscent of a Muramasa blade’s destructiveness and unyielding prowess. TV shows and films continue to draw inspiration from the essential learnings in Muramasa’s life, including dedication to perfection, unwavering loyalty to one’s philosophy, and the unique blend of beauty and destruction.
How Much Does a Genuine Muramasa Sword Cost Today?
Buying an authentic Muramasa sword is possible from a legitimate Japanese sword shop in Japan. However, it’s important to recognize that price is variable. It often depends on the sword’s quality and year of forging (we already know the swordsmith – Muramasa). Ideally, it should have a certificate of authenticity from the Nihon Touken Hozon Kai. Please note that many forgeries were produced especially during the latter parts of the Tokugawa Period (the Bakumatsu Period).
A genuine, fully-authenticated Muramasa sword, in excellent condition, can fetch over a million dollars. Forgeries might sell for tens of thousands, especially to gullible first-time sword buyers who might not be familiar with a Muramasa sword’s signature characteristics (hamon and nakago). Some counterfeit swords might sell for the price of a genuine Muramasa blade. Hence, buyers must be cautious when purchasing authentic Muramasa swords to avoid getting scammed. Buying from reputable, licensed stores is best.
Blades of Destiny: Muramasa’s Legacy Lives On
While we know little about the man, Sengo Muramasa’s legacy lives on through his creations. Not only were his swords exceptionally reliable tools of destruction. They were works of art, too, despite Muramasa’s focus on functionality over form.
Demystifying the Muramasa curse is as easy as highlighting the exceptional sharpness of his blades. These can easily cut, increasing the risk of injury or even fatal wounds. Despite its cursed nature, Muramasa swords were instrumental across the Muromachi and Edo Periods, allowing shoguns and samurai to shape the Japan we know today.