I've heard the same story from two of my friends from overseas: one is my British friend, and the other is my American friend. After posting an article about an art show in Kyoto (you can read it here), my Italian friend Simo left a comment about his country's missing paintings. It reminded me of a Japanese sword story, so I'd like to share it with you today.

The missing sword was called the Honjo Masamune.

There was a master swordsmith named Goro Nyudo Masamune in the 13th century. He created the best sword called Masamune in Japanese history. The first owner of it was one of the Sengoku worriers named Honjō Shigenaga (1540-1614). He got it from the battle of Kawanakajima (1561). His helmet was split in half by the sword, but he won the battle. He lost his significant helmet, in return he got the best sword.

He believed that the sword brought victories to him and had been looking after it very well. However, he bankrupted and had to sell it to Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537 to 1598), the ruler of Japan at that time. After Hideyoshi's death, the Toyotomi clan lost their power. Masamune was naturally passed to Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616), the next ruler. Since then, it had become the most treasured possession of the Tokugawa family. The Tokugawa clan had ruled Japan as shogun for about 250 years, and Masamune had passed down from a shogun to the next. In 1868, even after the Tokugawa shogunate lost power, the family managed to keep the sword. In 1939 Masamune became a National Treasure of Japan. In name and reality, Masamune finally, officially became the greatest sword in Japan.

However, unfortunately it has been missing after the World War II. When Japan lost the war, the Occupying Forces ordered all weapons including swords, to be surrendered. The Tokugawa family wanted to become a roll-model for all Japanese, they handed it over to the Occupation Army. It was supported to be returned later, but it has never returned. It's still been missing...........

This is the story I heard from two of my friends.

If you are curious about Masamune, you can learn more information here and here.

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