Seki Sword Tradition Museum, Sword making museum in Seki, Japan.
The Seki Sword Tradition Museum is a municipal exhibition facility in Seki, Gifu Prefecture, dedicated to the forging techniques handed down in the city. On the first floor, a sword exhibition room displays the history of Seki forging and sword fittings, alongside a demonstration area for swordsmiths and sword technicians and a video introduction. The second floor shows modern and contemporary cutlery products and a collection of custom knife makers' knives. A Japanese sword forging workshop, renovated in 2018, adjoins the building.
The museum opened in 1984 as the Seki City Industrial Promotion Center and reopened on 8 October 2002 after a full renovation. In 2018 its Japanese sword forging workshop was refurbished. Its collection centres on the late Muromachi-period smith Kanemoto, the second generation known as "Seki no Magoroku".
The museum displays the Muromachi-period blade of the second-generation Kanemoto, known as "Seki no Magoroku". On 8 November, Blades Day, a memorial service at the on-site Hamono-zuka mound honours worn-out knives and tools. During the Knife Festival and the monthly open days, smiths demonstrate traditional forging and fittings work.
The museum is about five minutes on foot from Sekiteerasu-mae Station on the Nagaragawa Railway Etsumi-Nan Line. It closes on Tuesdays and the day after public holidays, and has parking for 20 cars. Forging demonstrations are held on the first Sunday of each month except October and January, at 10:30 and 13:30.
The museum displays a famous blade by the second-generation Kanemoto, known as "Seki no Magoroku", from the late Muromachi period. On 8 November, Blades Day, a memorial service for worn-out knives is held at the blade mound (hamono-zuka) on the grounds.
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