A Foreign Sword Maker in Japan

Yesterday, I visited the forge of Pierre Nadeau, a French-Canadian who has been pursuing an apprenticeship under master sword makers in Japan. He aims to become only the second or third (there is some debate) gaijin to become a licensed sword maker in Japan. Pierre's forge is in the mountains of Wakayama Prefecture. Pierre gave me a fascinating introduction to the world of Japanese sword making. You can visit Pierre's site here.

Here is the outside of Pierre's forge:


Here's a picture of Pierre at work: