Japanese sword has been considered not only as a weapon but also as a sacred treasure. Now it is also regarded as a traditional artwork. The blade is made of steel of high purity called Tamahagane produced by a traditional melting process. Key factors to appreciate the beauty of Japanese swords are shapes, steel patterns in the blades, and temper lines at the edges. The beauty and the strength of the Japanese swords attracts attention of a lot of international fans. You can see a lot of treasure-class Japanese swords and learn production process of the material in this museum. (Location: Ryoogoku)