Canadian Living by the Sword

Japanese Swordsmith apprentice
Pierre NADEAU

What makes a foreigner become so interested in Japanese culture that he is willing to forego almost everything most of us take for granted to pursue and succeed in his chosen profession?

“It was during a trip in Okayama prefecture with some friends in 2002 that I discovered the craft of swordsmithing by chance,” says Pierre NADEAU, a Canadian who came to Japan in the same year motivated only by a desire to experience Japanese culture first hand. Recalling a Japanese sword polisher mentioned in a book he had once read, Pierre asked a friend to search the area for a traditional swordsmith, without actually believing any still existed.

Not only did they find one, but the craftsman invited them to visit him the next day. The group stayed a few hours observing the smith at work. “He was working slowly, in silence, and we could hear only the fire’s breath,” Pierre recalls. “I was completely dazzled by his total devotion to his work, by the strength of his focus, and his apparent inner peace. I fell in love with the slow pace, the fire, the red-hot steel, the isolation in the countryside, the primitiveness and the elegant beauty and power of Japanese swords.”

So, fired up by his interest in swordsmithing, Pierre returned to Japan during the summer of 2004 where he met with several smiths, simply asking for a talk. It was to one smith, KIYOTA Jirokunietsu, with whom he had been in touch with for almost two years, that Pierre suggested the idea of becoming his apprentice, a request that was accepted. Pierre then moved to Japan in December 2005 in order to start his apprenticeship under Kiyota.

Typically, a swordsmith apprenticeship involves working 6~7 days per week, getting out of bed before sunrise and studying until late, Pierre says. “Traditionally, the first three years were spent cutting charcoal, and the next five hammering for the master,” he explains. “Nowadays things are different. My job is to clean in and around the forge and get everything ready for him to start to work. That includes cleaning, changing water in buckets, preparing charcoal, sharpening tools, and other tasks.”

While the swordsmith apprentice learns, it is not due to his master’s teaching. “The relationship between a master and his apprentice is comparable to that of the father and his son in that it is very personal, and for life,” Pierre explains. “It is not a teacher and his student, for the master isn’t expected to teach anything. It is rather left to the apprentice to assimilate as much knowledge as possible while he lives by his master.” The master is a craftsman at work. The apprentice is the person who comes to his side, and who watches and assists.

Pierre says, “Swordsmithing needs long years of very hard and dedicated practice. It really doesn’t happen in the blink of an eye. I feel that attaining acceptable levels of quality is very challenging. However, there is almost no demand, and since a newly made sword costs a minimum of one million yen, it’s hard to sell. So making a living out of it isn’t easy either.”

Life in a village in northern Wakayama prefecture where he lives with his master is as easygoing as it gets in Japan, he says. “While I get a lot of cultural stress once in a while, and I miss the slow Canadian pace of life and the cheap cost of living, besides that Japan fills me with wonders. I try to assimilate the culture and language as close to native-level as possible, so that the only difference in the end will be my face.”

“Our village is very beautiful and nested in a gorgeous valley. It is a thirty minutes drive from the nearest convenience store and an hour from the nearest train station. My main source of stress really is the incredible amount of money needed to live here. I work only one day a week to sustain myself (apprenticeships are of course unpaid) so it’s always tight ... or rather constantly in the red!”

There are only about 250 swordsmiths at work in Japan. What are the rewards of becoming a swordsmith? “Being a craftsman is a way of life, but it’s not for everyone,” Pierre admits. “It’s exhausting, demanding on every level – artistry, intellect, organization, business skills, design, spirituality, manual skills – and one must strive for 10 or more years before receiving any kind of acknowledgement, if they receive any at all. I can see no other way but to live like this: the freedom following my very own pace and daily schedule, alone, controlling my creation, satisfying an actual individual need, becoming empowered by the skills I develop, and feeling independence and value in the face of society.”

Where is this career path likely to take the enthusiastic Canadian? “Call me back in 30 years! I have absolutely no idea,” he says with a laugh. “I hope to settle my own forge after my apprenticeship is over and make the best possible Japanese swords. And make a living out of it. My life will have the single-minded purpose of researching, promoting and making fine Japanese swords.”

Text: Jonathon WALSH

Soulsmithing
www.soulsmithing.com

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