- 5 hours ago
Josh explores ancient shrines hidden in the mountains and underground tunnels across Japan in search for the missing mystical Honjo sword. Along the way, Josh learns the ways of the samurai and forges his own samurai sword.
Category
📚
LearningTranscript
00:00In ancient Japan, a sword was forged with mystical powers.
00:07Whoever had it was the ruler of Japan.
00:09It has been lost to time.
00:11I think there's a strong possibility
00:12it's still hidden somewhere in Japan.
00:14But can it be found?
00:20Swords have a spirit.
00:23I don't know what I'm gonna find at the top of the shrine.
00:25I've come this far, I'm not turning back.
00:33Oh, you don't with a snow monkey.
00:45In Japan, there is a legend of a magic sword.
00:48A blade so perfect, so powerful,
00:51that whoever possessed it could control a nation.
00:55But this is no fairy tale.
00:57The sword is real.
00:59The only question is, where is it?
01:04It is the 13th century.
01:06Goro Niudo Masamune is the finest swordsmith in Japan.
01:10And the Hanzo Masamune is considered his crowning achievement.
01:14Along with its lethal edge,
01:16it is said the blade has supernatural powers
01:18and cannot be used to kill an innocent person.
01:21In time, the Hanzo Masamune becomes Japan's greatest national treasure.
01:27But in the chaos at the end of World War II,
01:30it vanishes.
01:33While it was long believed that the missing sword
01:35was smuggled to America after the war,
01:37experts now believe that it may never have left Japan.
01:40There is new evidence that it may have been concealed in a sacred shrine,
01:44in wartime tunnels,
01:46or that it's circulating on the black market.
01:50The Hanzo Masamune is considered the greatest sword ever made,
01:54and an object of intense spiritual power.
01:56Is it about to be found?
01:58I'm joining the search in the land of the rising sun.
02:08My name is Josh Gates.
02:11With a degree in archaeology and a passion for exploration,
02:15I have a tendency to end up in some very strange situations.
02:19There has got to be a better way to make a living.
02:22My travels have taken me to the ends of the earth
02:25as I investigate the greatest legends in history.
02:28We're good to fly. Let's go.
02:30This is Expedition Unknown.
02:40Tokyo, Japan. Home to nearly 40 million people.
02:43It is, quite simply, the biggest city in the world.
02:53Just about any adjective you can think of probably applies here.
02:57It is chaotic, and it is serene.
03:02It is modern, it is also ancient.
03:05And one thing is for sure,
03:07there is nowhere else in the world like Tokyo.
03:12The city is, at all hours of the day,
03:14absolutely abuzz, a sea of humanity.
03:17But what jumps out at me is the Japanese fascination with cuteness.
03:20They call it kawaii, and it's everywhere.
03:24Fashion, billboards, street signs, and, of course, toys.
03:30Totally unexpected.
03:31The Honjo Masamune is right here in this shop,
03:34and it is $1.20.
03:37Worth a lot less than I thought.
03:41Hello?
03:42Oh, my God.
03:43This bear is alive.
03:45It's repeating me.
03:50Bear?
03:51Bear?
03:52Watch every person in there.
03:55You heard the bear, people.
03:57Shhh.
03:58Across town, I'm kicking off my hunt for the Honjo Masamune,
04:03at the last place it was ever seen.
04:06So the real mystery of the Honjo Masamune sword starts right here.
04:09Pretty unlikely spot.
04:10This is the Majiro police station here in Tokyo.
04:13And it was right here that maybe the finest sword ever made was lost.
04:18Forged in the 13th century by the great Masamune,
04:21the sword passes down through the ages,
04:23until a fearsome warrior wields the blade in a brazen attack
04:27on General Honjo Shigenaga and his samurai warriors.
04:35But despite splitting Honjo's helmet,
04:39the blade spares his life
04:42and chooses a new master.
04:45The sword becomes known as the Honjo Masamune
04:48and eventually finds its way into the hands of the noble Tokugawa clan
04:52who rule in peace for hundreds of years.
04:55But at the end of World War II, with Japan in tatters,
04:59the allies call for complete disarmament.
05:02In a final act of submission,
05:03every Japanese citizen is required to turn in all small arms,
05:07including cherished family swords.
05:10Ayamasa, the last Tokugawa to inherit the blade,
05:13is forced to hand over the Honjo Masamune
05:15at the Majiro police station.
05:17It is never seen again.
05:20Now, supposedly, the sword was then handed over
05:22to a U.S. Sergeant named Coldy Bymore.
05:25But there's just one problem.
05:26He doesn't seem to exist.
05:29Many Japanese swords were given away to Allied soldiers
05:32as trophies of war.
05:34A record shows the sword being turned in
05:36and then being signed over to Sergeant Coldy Bymore.
05:39But nobody with that name, or any variation of it,
05:41ever served in the U.S. Armed Forces.
05:43So if the Honjo Masamune isn't in the police station,
05:46where did it go?
05:48To find out, I'm seeking out the man
05:50who the sword should have passed to.
05:52And he's agreed to meet me at his family's grave,
05:54which isn't exactly a simple tombstone.
05:57Very nice to meet you.
06:10Very nice to meet you as well, hero.
06:12Sunanari Tokugawa is the 18th generation head
06:15of the family who once ruled Japan.
06:17Their sprawling ancestral temple in the middle of modern Tokyo
06:21is a testament to their power
06:23and to the sword they once wielded.
06:25It's an incredible, incredible place.
06:29Mr. Tokugawa and his grandson
06:31have agreed to take me to a sacred part of the temple
06:34that's strictly off-limits to outsiders.
06:36This is our family mausoleum.
06:43This is beautiful.
06:46These are the tombs of the Tokugawa Shogun,
06:49military generals that governed from 1603 until 1867.
06:54So these are the graves.
06:56Six different Shogun.
06:58Right.
06:59Buried here.
07:00Yes.
07:01So as each Tokugawa Shogun ascended the throne,
07:04the sword was passed.
07:05Right.
07:06And this went on for how long?
07:07Well, actually, right up until your father.
07:10World War II, end of World War II.
07:12Some people would be surprised
07:14that your father simply turned it in.
07:17Why do you think he chose to do that
07:19instead of hiding the sword somewhere?
07:21My father was the, at the last minute,
07:26the chairman of the House of Lords.
07:28Yes.
07:29And he was a good ambassador before then.
07:32To hide something in, I think, never came up to his brain.
07:38It's a rule, order.
07:40So he did the right thing.
07:42Yes.
07:43Why do you think this particular sword is so well regarded?
07:48It's a half sword, half scepter.
07:50Whoever had it, it was the Shogun.
07:52It was the ruler of Japan.
07:54So it's not just a sword, it's a symbol.
07:56Right.
07:57If the Honjo Masamune is still in Japan,
08:01where do you think it might be?
08:02Very clever sword lover.
08:07I want to keep it in his place like this.
08:10Nobody would see it.
08:13If I find the sword, I will call you, Mr. Tokugawa.
08:18I'll be waiting for you.
08:19Thank you very much for your time.
08:20Anytime. Yes, thank you very much.
08:21I appreciate it.
08:22Thank you very much.
08:23Thank you, Hiro.
08:24Thank you, and good luck with your search.
08:25Thanks very much.
08:26The Tokugawas believe the sword could be hidden in a private collection,
08:30so I'm off to meet a noted sword expert who believes he may know where.
08:34To get there, I'll have to brave the wild world of the Japanese subway.
08:39All told, there are almost 300 different stations
08:43and multiple lines overlapping one another.
08:46Every day, over 8 million people ride these rails,
08:49and today, I'm one of them.
08:52Central to Japanese culture are honor and respect,
08:55which are on full display in the world's most polite subway car.
09:01Sorry.
09:03Sorry.
09:04Sorry to everybody.
09:08I just want to be clear how quiet it is in this train.
09:16If this were New York City,
09:19there'd be three guys drumming,
09:21two dudes panhandling,
09:23someone screaming,
09:24somebody talking a lot about Jesus.
09:31Confession,
09:32the next 12 and a half minutes of complete silence
09:34may be the longest I've ever gone without speaking.
09:37Good Lord.
09:38At the nearby Hamarikyu Gardens, I'm meeting Adrian Schlemmer,
09:48a sword connoisseur and expert who has been collecting and studying Japanese blades for 30 years.
09:53What's your opinion about the Honjo Masamune?
09:56Where do you think it went?
09:57As 68 years have passed,
09:59it becomes less and less likely that up in America.
10:02So, that not being the case,
10:04there's a good chance that it's ended up somewhere in Japan.
10:07At the time of the confiscation,
10:10museums were exempt,
10:13shrines were exempt,
10:14and quite legally even.
10:16If they donated to a shrine before they were confiscated,
10:19then they belonged to the shrine.
10:21Do you think that the Honjo Masamune is going to resurface at some point?
10:27Well, it could well be that the Honjo Masamune will resurface when it wants to resurface.
10:33Swords have a spirit.
10:35If that's the case,
10:36then it could well be that its spirit has decided it's not time for it to show its face.
10:42Adrian and others are convinced the sword is still here on Japanese soil,
10:47perhaps stowed in a shrine or illegally sold to a collector.
10:50To follow up on that lead,
10:52Adrian has put me in touch with a black market sword expert
10:55who has agreed to be interviewed anonymously in a local bar.
10:59Time for me to descend into the world of Tokyo nightlife.
11:16This is Kabukicho, the red light district of Tokyo.
11:19It is called The Sleepless Town.
11:21Hey!
11:22How are you?
11:23Hi!
11:24How are you?
11:25Hi!
11:26How are you?
11:27Oh my God!
11:28Where are we drinking?
11:29Where are we going?
11:30The city glows like a neon microchip,
11:32powered by endless bars, entertainment, and one-of-a-kind lounge acts.
11:36Is that a robot playing a saxophone?
11:40You may be asking yourself?
11:42Answer?
11:43You bet it is.
11:45I don't know where this elevator goes, but I assume it's the future.
11:50Japan is confounding because it strives to maintain ancient traditions while also embracing modernity.
11:57And Tokyo is, in many ways, a city obsessed with the future.
12:01And at Robot Restaurant, that future feels like a full-on 23rd century acid trip.
12:06Woo!
12:07Are you ready?
12:08Yes!
12:09Make me feelen!
12:12Got it!
12:13Go and do it!
12:14Goди!
12:16No!
12:17Get the train!
12:18Come on!
12:20Go!
12:21Go!
12:22Go!
12:24Go!
12:25Go!
12:27Go!
12:28Go!
12:30Go!
12:33It's time!
12:35Good lord, was that real?
12:47Before I lose my sanity completely, I eject back out onto the streets for my meeting with
12:51a black market sword dealer.
12:54Just a few blocks away is an area known as Golden Guy, a warren of narrow alleys crammed
12:59with more than 200 bars.
13:05Golden Guy doesn't feel quite as welcoming as the Robot Restaurant, and supposedly it's
13:09run by the Yakuza, the Japanese mob.
13:27I'm on the trail of the Hanzo Masamune, a mystical 13th century Japanese sword that disappeared
13:32at the end of World War II.
13:34This is Golden Guy, a neighborhood of Tokyo where I'm supposed to rendezvous with an expert
13:38who specializes in black market sword trading.
13:41I duck into a local bar where my contact has agreed to an interview on the condition that
13:46I conceal his identity.
13:49So very, very interested in the Hanzo Masamune, but also in understanding these valuable swords
13:58in general.
13:59Are they allowed to be traded?
14:00Yes.
14:01By law, every Japanese sword is given papers of authentication.
14:13But if a sword is unsigned by the artist, or without documentation like the Hanzo Masamune,
14:18there's no way to track it.
14:20And what about underground trading?
14:22Is that something that happens?
14:24Well, if one person gets a precious sword and sells to an antique shop or at the internet
14:32auction, well, nobody will know.
14:34So if the sword shows up and it has no authentication papers, how do you know that it's the Hanzo Masamune?
14:39What we have to do is to match to the figures left today.
14:45Okay, this is the most accurate figure, I think, of the Hanzo Masamune.
14:52This gravy shape here is called Haman.
14:54What is the Haman?
14:55Haman is a pattern of the sword's, actually, edge.
14:59So it's like a fingerprint.
15:00Oh, yes.
15:01If somebody tomorrow said they found the Hanzo Masamune, this is the way that we would
15:05tell, right?
15:06Yes.
15:07The sword have been kept safe at a time when the Allies were trying to find every sword
15:11in Japan.
15:12They actually created huge tunnels, and they moved functions of the government and, of
15:19course, precious materials from Tokyo.
15:21And so you think it's possible that the sword could have been hidden away in one of those
15:26imperial tunnels?
15:27There is one guy investigating this issue right now, and he's got newer information, and
15:33he's researching in Nagano right now.
15:36By the light of a new day, I'm eager to follow up on this promising lead.
15:43On the way to the tunnels, I plan to stop in Kamakura, the city where the Hanzo Masamune
15:47was forged.
15:50From Tokyo, it's about a 40-minute train ride south, in complete silence, of course.
15:59This was once the center of Japan's power, and home to samurai and warlords known as Shogun.
16:04It is somewhere in this ancient city where Masamune forged his legendary sword.
16:11There is a myth that the blade was tested against an evil sword, crafted by the swordsmith Muramasa.
16:18The two katanas were placed in a river, and while the Muramasa sliced everything that crossed
16:22its path, the Masamune spared every branch, leaf, and fish.
16:27It was as though the sword had a conscience and a mind of its own.
16:33Little is known about Masamune the man.
16:35He crafted his blades between 1288 and 1328.
16:39His grave in Kamakura is simple and modest.
16:45So how did Masamune craft a weapon of such power and perfection?
16:50While he isn't around to tell me, astonishingly, his descendant is.
16:55Tunehiro Yamamura is the 24th generation of Masamune, and has been making swords like his
17:00grand ancestor for 40 years.
17:16The secret to forging a sword is heat.
17:19In 1300 degrees of red-hot coals, 15 pounds of tamahagani Japanese steel is thrust into
17:26the furnace to soften the metal and remove impurities.
17:30Then for weeks, the steel is hammered, shaped, and folded until all that's left is the essence
17:36of a blade.
17:42But the forge is also a holy place.
17:44The walls covered in prayers and offerings to summon the gods and imbue the weapon with
17:49the soul of the swordsmith.
17:51The craftsmen wear ceremonial robes.
17:53Lucky for me, they come in 2XL.
17:56Amazingly, this kind of fits me.
17:58I don't know how that's possible.
18:00I am the biggest person in Japan.
18:02You look like sumotori.
18:04I look like what?
18:05Sumotori.
18:06Smotori?
18:07Sumotori.
18:08Sumo fighter.
18:09I look like a sumo wrestler.
18:10Sumo wrestler.
18:11Very nice, sir.
18:14I'm allowed the honor of hammering Tunehiro's latest masterpiece, which, while very kind of
18:19him, might not be a great idea.
18:21Be careful.
18:22Be careful.
18:23And slowly.
18:24You memorize timing.
18:25I memorize the timing.
18:26One, one, one.
18:27One, one, one.
18:28One, one, one.
18:29Okay?
18:30Thousands of years of Japanese tradition.
18:33I've had a four-second prep course.
18:35I'm sure I'm gonna nail this.
18:36Okay, here we go.
18:37First you, yeah.
18:38First you, yeah.
18:39Good lord.
18:43I'm in Kamakura, Japan, where I've been invited to try my hand at forging a samurai sword.
19:03This could get really embarrassing really quickly.
19:19I am killing this.
19:20Nice.
19:22Come on.
19:23Come on.
19:24That was pretty good.
19:25How would you review my performance?
19:27How did I do?
19:28Mmm, so-so.
19:30Mmm, so-so.
19:31All right, I'll take it.
19:34Okay, I didn't exactly knock it out of the park, but I've got a shot at redemption.
19:38He's a instructor, Mr. Ohata-san.
19:41Very nice to meet you.
19:42Nice to meet you, too.
19:43This is Japanese sword.
19:45Please use this.
19:46You want me to use this?
19:47Yes.
19:48Thank you very much.
19:49Okay, we are Japanese sword.
19:51Real Japanese sword.
19:52And you're going to let me hold this?
19:53Yes.
19:54That's a terrible mistake.
19:55Okay.
19:56Hopefully not.
19:57Hopefully not.
19:58Can you demonstrate first?
19:59Yes, okay.
20:00Okay.
20:01I'll stand back.
20:02This is called Tamashigiri.
20:04Samurais slice through tightly rolled up tatami mats to test the quality of the sword
20:09and their skills handling it.
20:14And Mr. Ohata is a tough act to follow.
20:17That was very impressive.
20:18Yes.
20:19So I have my left foot forward, right?
20:21And then I go here, and I go...
20:23Yes.
20:25Okay.
20:26Now you try.
20:27Okay.
20:28All right, so let me get in position here.
20:30Pressure is on.
20:31A lot of camera phones out.
20:33Crazy big white guy on the streets of Kamakura.
20:36Okay.
20:37Do I need to make that noise?
20:38Ha!
20:39Yes.
20:40I do?
20:41Voice is concentration, voice.
20:42Ha!
20:43Ha!
20:44Ha!
20:45Okay.
20:46You may want to back up now, because I don't know where this sword is going.
20:48Ha!
20:49Ha!
20:50Ha!
20:51Ha!
20:52Ha!
20:53Ha!
20:54Ha!
20:55Ha!
20:56Ha!
20:57Ha!
20:58Ha!
20:59Ha!
21:00Ha!
21:01Ha!
21:02Ha!
21:03Ha!
21:04Ha!
21:05Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
21:07Wow.
21:08I got very lucky, I think, but I'll take it.
21:10It's okay?
21:11Okay.
21:12Okay?
21:13Perfect.
21:14Uh, you can cut better than teacher.
21:15Yes.
21:16I'm better than the teacher?
21:17Yeah.
21:18Somebody get that on camera.
21:19Very good.
21:20Clear cut.
21:21You have samurai DNA.
21:22I have samurai DNA.
21:23Yes, yes, I guess.
21:25Arigato.
21:26Congratulations.
21:27Arigato.
21:28It's not every day you find out you were born a samurai, and with a deeper understanding
21:34of what it takes to make these razor-sharp swords, I'm renewing my hunt for the Hanjo
21:39Masamune.
21:40My expert in Tokyo believes the government might have hid the blade in underground tunnels
21:44at the end of World War II, and has put me in touch with a modern-day treasure hunter
21:49who believes the blade could be in Nagano.
21:52It's about 170 miles from Kamakura to Nagano, but it will take less than an hour aboard
21:57of Shinkansen, the Japanese bullet train.
22:01I mean, come on.
22:07This is the future.
22:10This is it, right here.
22:12I'm in a spaceship.
22:14The trains are called bullets for a reason.
22:20They effortlessly hit speeds of up to 200 miles an hour, and their departures are timed to
22:24the second.
22:25Their secret?
22:26The trains run on completely independent tracks and use tunnels and elevated systems to go
22:30over or through any obstacles, including the time-space continuum.
22:34Good night, bullet train.
22:38I love you.
22:40I love you.
22:41An hour later, the love affair is over, and we glide into the station at Nagano.
22:47Just a few miles away, I'm meeting a contact who's part of a new generation of urban explorers
22:51that the Japanese call Haiko.
22:54Michael Gokurin may look like he's in a boy band, but he's part of an international group
22:58dedicated to the investigation of seldom-explored ruins from Japan's past.
23:02He lives for this stuff, and believes he may know where the Honjo Masamune is hiding.
23:07Wow, look at this place.
23:08That is foreboding.
23:09Yeah.
23:10So these are the tunnels, the Matsushiro tunnels, that were built towards the Second World War.
23:22The Japanese built this underground shelter in 1944 to house the imperial government in the final days of World War II.
23:29Michael believes the government might have stashed the Honjo Masamune somewhere in the darkness below.
23:35We have permission to go here?
23:37We do, luckily.
23:38Please, after you.
23:39Let's go.
23:45Okay, please.
23:47I'm not sure how confident I am that Michael is going to lead me straight to the sword, but what can I say?
23:53I'm a glutton for exploring creepy tunnels.
23:56This is amazing.
23:57Yeah.
23:58Just these, like, roughly blasted tunnels.
24:00They use just dynamite to blast, blast, blast really deep into the mountain.
24:05Incredible.
24:09So, Monet, national treasure is worth slated to come into these tunnels?
24:12Yes.
24:13If these tunnels were probably completed and they moved the imperial family down here, probably would have been taken and sought here.
24:18Have the tunnels been widely explored?
24:20Well, certain sections have, but there's also many, many kilometers of tunnels that haven't been properly excavated.
24:29So, what's the general plan of attack here?
24:31Well, I've got a metal detector and some digging equipment, so I'm thinking we can go into some of the tunnels that haven't been properly excavated and see if we get any hits.
24:38See if we can find the Honjo.
24:42We begin to scour the seven miles of serpentine passages, and after a few hours in the chilly darkness, we finally get a hit.
24:59Oh, big hit, big hit.
25:00Big hit, big hit.
25:09I'm in Japan exploring imperial tunnels from World War II, looking for any signs of the world's finest sword.
25:16And we might just have found something.
25:18Whoa, big hit, big hit.
25:19Oh, big hit, big hit.
25:28There's something there.
25:29Yeah, there's definitely something there, isn't there?
25:31There might just be some ore.
25:34Oh, there's a coin.
25:35Oh, look at that, a coin.
25:36Huh.
25:37Look at that.
25:38Something of value.
25:39We got...
25:4110 yen.
25:4210 yen.
25:44There it is.
25:45I mean, I'm finding treasure.
25:47I think the Honjo Masamune is worth more than 10 yen.
25:50You're an official treasure hunter now.
25:51But I'm not leaving here empty handed.
25:52Right.
25:53Right?
25:54It's something.
25:55Alright, I'm claiming this.
25:56We can split it.
25:575 yen for you, 5 yen for me.
25:59Okay.
26:01Hours of searching leads us through incredible tunnels, but we find no sign of the Honjo Masamune.
26:07As we ascend to the surface, I'm reminded that the legend says the sword will only appear to someone worthy of its righteous powers, like a samurai.
26:15In feudal Japan, Bushido was a set of moral principles followed by these soldiers.
26:22It means the way of the warrior, an unwritten code that permeated every aspect of the samurai's life.
26:29This culture is something I know almost nothing about, and yet it's a critical part of the sword's history.
26:36I really want to understand more about the world of the samurai.
26:39All I need now is someone willing to teach me.
26:45This is Tetsuro Shimaguchi, a Japanese sensei with 25 years of relentless training.
26:54Not a guy you want to mess with.
26:56But he has agreed to give me a crash course in samurai training.
26:59And kimonos.
27:01So this first.
27:02Yeah.
27:04This is already going well.
27:06How do you do this by yourself?
27:08This is a two-person job.
27:10Yes?
27:11Okanawa.
27:12It's coming back there.
27:14But wait, there's more.
27:16You can protect your ears.
27:18Am I going to need my ears protected, sensei?
27:20And really, how much protection am I getting?
27:22Okay.
27:24Looks good.
27:25It looks good?
27:26Yeah.
27:27I feel like you look like a very cool samurai.
27:29And I look like a line cook at Benihana.
27:31The key to becoming a samurai?
27:37Practice.
27:41Like this.
27:42Concentrate.
27:43Left hand like this.
27:45Your posture is very important.
27:48Posture?
27:49Yeah.
27:51Samurai fighting not only this direction.
27:53All direction.
27:54Like this.
27:55Like this.
27:56You have to have a wide perspective and see all around you.
27:58Yes.
27:5994.
28:0098.
28:0199.
28:02Samurai is quick movement.
28:04And stab.
28:06Slide and keep.
28:07Look.
28:08Sorry.
28:09I'm afraid of cutting my hand off.
28:11Two.
28:12Three.
28:13Four.
28:14Right hand side.
28:15Not enemy.
28:16Left side.
28:17Enemy.
28:18My enemy attack.
28:20I see.
28:22The sensei throws lesson after lesson at me, as well as his sword.
28:26Don't move, please.
28:28I think I need a new kimono.
28:29Yes.
28:30Yes.
28:31Your hand.
28:32Yes.
28:33Excellent.
28:34Tip of the sword.
28:35Your enemy's sword.
28:37I'm becoming a baby samurai.
28:38Big baby samurai.
28:39Big baby samurai.
28:40Big baby samurai.
28:41That's what they call me.
28:43It's been a whirlwind day of training.
28:45I just didn't realize there was going to be a final exam.
28:48I think you're all ready to fight my student.
28:52Okay.
28:53I just want to say that I'm a very nice person and I don't want to die here today.
29:19Yip.
29:20Hyah.
29:21Yip.
29:22Yip.
29:23Yip.
29:24Yip.
29:25Yip.
29:26Yip.
29:27Yip.
29:28Yip.
29:29I've been shooting.
29:59training to become a samurai with an acclaimed sensei and he's just invited me to spar with his
30:06favorite student you win okay let's be honest she kicked my ass okay thank you you are a wonderful
30:24teacher you're an excellent student oh i don't know about that but you're very very patient
30:29any advice for me in searching for the sword many believe it never left japan and that it is hidden
30:36in a shrine at the end of world war ii the japanese were forced to hand over all ceremonial swords
30:43but some shrines were exempt which means one of them could contain the hanjo masamune
30:48the mountaintop temple at toakushi is rumored to have a great treasure some believe it's the sword
30:55i'm not sure my crash course in samurai training means i'm pure of spirit and worthy of finding
31:09the masamune but i'm certainly not going to pass up this lead there's no bullet train to toakushi
31:14mountain so i'm taking the fastest wheels i can find
31:17i'm cruising 100 miles north on icy roads my destination a shrine somewhere on a 6 000 foot
31:33frozen volcano here we are beautiful nagano japan which once hosted the winter olympics
31:42interesting fact this year's winter olympics are being held in my pants
31:45i'm totally frozen from the waist down
31:47the roads climb higher and are progressively snowier once i reach the mountain i abandon the
31:56bike and continue on unplowed hiking trails note to self conduct quests for mystical japanese swords
32:02in the summer
32:03it may be cold but it's also majestic the trail is lined with soaring 400 year old trees caked in fresh
32:17fallen snow
32:17the most amazing part about being up here is that it is completely silent
32:30i feel like i am totally alone up here but in fact i'm not check this out
32:37snow monkeys there are more than a hundred thousand of these guys scattered throughout japan
32:52and uh after humans no other primate lives in a colder or more northerly climate they are resilient
32:59they are adaptive and most importantly they are very very good at relaxing
33:03the key to their survival are these volcanic hot tubs which the monkeys have turned into a full-time spa
33:13the water is piping hot and you don't even have to rent a locker or tip the towel boy
33:18but they do have a strict monkeys only membership policy hey buddy
33:22nope you don't f**k with a snow monkey
33:25i'd rather risk losing my fingers to frostbite than a snow monkey so i'm back on the move
33:30i don't know what i'm gonna find at the top of the shrine or how receptive the monk is gonna be
33:42but i've come this far i'm not turning back
33:46after a few hours trudging uphill the blanket of snow reveals what i've been searching for
33:58the entrance to the mountaintop temple of togakushi
34:01this is wishinman gate
34:08a red beacon in an otherwise endless sea of white
34:12passing through it signifies that i have stepped into the domain of the gods
34:17togakushi means hidden door in japanese mythology this is where the sun goddess hid herself at the
34:35end of every day and now it is one of the most sacred shinto shrines in japan the high priest lives
34:42here alone through the long winter and has kindly agreed to receive me
34:49it is extremely uncommon and a great honor for a visitor to be invited inside
35:01patience is a virtue here in japan and before i can speak to the priest we must honor the spirits of the mountain
35:06peace of the mountain
35:13thank you very much first of all for allowing me to come here i have come to japan because
35:33we're very interested in the story of the honjo masamune the great lost sword of japan
35:40and i have been told that that this shrine may have a treasure inside of it is there is there a treasure in this shrine
35:47yes this shrine has a sacred body or a goshen tai an object that holds the spirit of a god so that we can see them here on earth
35:55um do you think it's possible that that swords like this could be sacred objects and shrines
36:02it is possible swords can be more than weapons they are the essence of great power
36:10i see um is there a treasure here that i can see
36:17i have come to japan because of the honjo masamune the great lost sword of japan and i have been told that that this shrine may have a treasure inside of it is there a treasure here that i can see
36:37yes this shrine has a sacred body or a goshen tai an object that holds the spirit of a god so that we can see them here on earth no sacred treasure in a temple should be seen but i can tell you that our treasure is not a sword the real treasure here is all around you the trees the snow the sky that is why the gods come here
36:44the trees are sacred the nature is sacred every bit as valuable and beautiful as a sword
36:51every bit as valuable and beautiful as a sword
36:53yes that is the real prize
36:57as i leave the temple and begin the trek down hill i actually feel a sense of satisfaction and i see the landscape around me with a great joy
37:04as you're here is all around you the trees the snow the sky that is why the gods come here
37:08the trees are sacred the nature is sacred
37:11the trees are sacred the nature is sacred every bit as valuable and beautiful as a sword
37:16as i leave the temple and begin the trek downhill i actually feel a sense of satisfaction and i see the landscape around me with fresh eyes
37:28but it turns out there is also one last chance to discover the sword
37:34my expert contacts have alerted me that a renowned sword collector in tokyo has come into possession of a reportedly sacred blade
37:44i've come full circle to where my journey began
37:47and as rain begins to fall over tokyo i duck into an antique shop to follow one last lead in the mystery
37:53hello
37:55hello
37:57are you shimizu san
37:58hi
37:59i'm josh
38:01nice to meet you
38:02nice to meet you
38:03oh thank you very much
38:05Yoshitaka Shimizu is a renowned sword collector
38:08and paul martin is a noted british curator
38:11here to evaluate the latest addition to mr shimizu's collection
38:14how long have you been dealing in swords
38:18my family has been collecting swords since 1874
38:22your family's been dealing in swords since 1874
38:25what is it for you about these objects that makes them so special
38:29i think that learning about japanese swords is one of the fastest ways to understand japanese culture
38:34would you like to see he's got a very special sword here would you like to see it
38:41a very special sword yeah absolutely yes terrific thank you
38:47my journey across japan has all led to this
38:53beautiful box
39:10this sword came to mr shimizu from an anonymous private collector but is it the sacred blade i've been searching for
39:18it's beautiful it really is i mean when you look at it on the edge it's just impossibly sharp
39:37could this be the honjo
39:39no it is not the honjo but it is a treasure
39:46absolutely stunning the edge just vanishes
39:49i mean it's just goes to nothing it feels like
39:52how old is this blade
39:54sorry just over 600 years old
39:57just over 600 years old
39:59and uh and the sword maker
40:02this is a masamune
40:05yeah
40:06this is a masamune
40:08yeah
40:09really
40:10yeah
40:11really
40:12yeah
40:13that's amazing
40:15that is absolutely incredible it is beautiful
40:19this katana was forged by the hands of japan's most venerated sword maker
40:24and although it's not the honjo to hold one of the master's creations is more than i ever expected
40:30there's something so balanced about it
40:33yeah
40:34does that make sense
40:35yeah yeah
40:36it feels sort of
40:37it feels sort of
40:38alive in the hand
40:39yeah it feels sort of perfect
40:40yeah
40:41it just looks terrifyingly sharp
40:42yeah
40:43how very sharp
40:44yeah
40:45well the first time i saw a real japanese sword like this i was uh profoundly moved
40:50they do kind of touch the soul you're surprised at their beauty and how deep an object they are
40:54it's a intrinsically beautiful art object
40:57on top of that you know they're very cool weapons that's what attracts everyone
41:00right
41:01you know but then once you get past that you realize it's a spiritual object a religious object
41:05you know and all these different myriad of meanings that they have
41:08and you get sucked in
41:10a lot like japan itself
41:12well not the uh not the honjo masamune but a masamune
41:16masamune
41:17yeah i'll certainly settle for that it is absolutely stunning
41:20japan has always felt to me like a place that exists out of time
41:27the future is in the present and the present is filled with the past
41:32different eras blending together to create a dizzying and disorienting masterpiece
41:37and the honjo drifts between these worlds searching for it felt like grasping at wisps of smoke
41:44it is everywhere and nowhere
41:47an object that represents the distant heights of an empire
41:51the humbling of a nation
41:53and the promise of a future filled with honor and custom
41:57the truth is nobody knows where the honjo is though many are looking
42:02but it no longer seems lost to me
42:05the sword is japan itself graceful
42:09spiritual ancient and eternal
42:12all balanced on an improbable edge
42:16for many the blade has a soul and a conviction to decide its own fate
42:21i hope that one day soon the honjo masamune will decide to return
42:26and allow us all to admire it with wonder
42:29with wonder
42:33you
42:35you
42:38you
42:40you
42:42you
42:46you
Comments