Japan's first non-Japanese swordsmith opens Hiroshima workshop

Japan Times

24-03-2025

Johan Leutwiler, 35, a Swiss man who last spring became the first non-Japanese katana kaji — a swordsmith who makes Japanese swords — has opened his own workshop studio in the city of Mihara, Hiroshima Prefecture.
Leutwiler, captivated by the beauty of Japanese swords, came to Japan to train in the city of Shobara in the prefecture. After five years, he moved to the Kui district of Mihara in December.
'I hope to promote the charm of Japanese swords as works of art,' he said with determination.
'I feel at ease when I'm looking at the curves and temper patterns of sword blades,' he said while holding up a sword he made at a renovated barn that he converted into a workshop studio.
He devotes himself to making swords at the studio, which stands amid fields in the mountains.
Prior to his arrival in Japan, Leutwiler, a native of Valais in southern Switzerland, had been working at an iron foundry.
In 2005, he visited an exhibition of Japanese swords held in his hometown and became fascinated by the elegance of the artworks that conveyed the skills of swordsmiths in Japan.
In order to become katana kaji, candidates are required to train under a master swordsmith for a minimum of five years and complete a training session organized by the Cultural Affairs Agency.
Leutwiler came to Japan after completing military service in his home country. In 2019, he became an apprentice of Yoshihiro Kubo, a 60-year-old master swordsmith in Shobara whom he got acquainted with during a training session for aspiring swordsmiths held by the All Japan Swordsmith Association in the city of Okayama.
The Swiss completed the Cultural Affairs Agency's training session in 2023. In spring the following year, his training under Kubo came to an end.
Leutwiler's swordsmith name is Miharaju Mitsutsuna, which pays tribute to his new home in Hiroshima Prefecture. |
Chugoku Shimbun
In becoming an independent swordsmith, he searched for an appropriate location in the eastern part of Hiroshima Prefecture with good access to Shobara, where there is a forge to hammer heated steel. His search led him to the barn in Mihara's akiya bank — a database of vacant properties.
'It gets a good amount of sunlight and the view from the window is spectacular,' he said. 'I thought this was the place.'
Using a subsidy from the city, he created his home and workshop studio at the barn.
For now, Leutwiler forges his swords in Shobara before working on their finishing at his studio. But he plans to build his own forge sometime in the future.
His blades bear his swordsmith name, Miharaju Mitsutsuna, which pays tribute to his new home to show his appreciation for the local community.
'In order to hand down the culture and skills, I am determined to create swords that reach the hearts not only of foreign people but also Japanese people.'
This section features topics and issues covered by the Chugoku Shimbun, the largest newspaper in the Chugoku region. The original article was published Feb. 26.