Comments by "Yo2" (@yo2trader539) on "The Origins of the Japanese Steel Industry" video.

  1. NAMBU TEKKI (南部鉄器) was already famous in Edo Period. It actually has its origins in the Heian Period, so it's not a coincidence that steel production was successful in the TOHOKU region after Meiji Restoration. If you go deep into Japanese cultural history, the EMISHI swords had really good quality and impacted how Japanese samurai swords were shaped. The horse-fighting style of the EMISHI shaped weapons and tactics of the Samurai era. Before the HEIAN period, swords found in Japan are mostly 直刀・直剣 (i.e. straight-shaped blades). The curve commonly observed in later Samurai swords are influences from the EMISHI swords. The 前九年 and 後三年 Wars in the 11th century is what influenced the change in weapon styles. And you'll see this style of weapons and tactics common during the war against the Mongols in the 13th century. It's commonly understood that today's swordsmiths cannot replicate the high-quality of Japanese swords forged in the Kamakura and Muromachi Era. Even with all the advances in science and technology, we still cannot figure out why 12th-16th centuries swords were better made than today.
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