I have to say, this is by far the most inspirational video clip I’ve seen this week (perhaps this month). In the modern times with so much tradition fading away, it is great to see individuals whom are still passing age old skills from one generation to another. Korehira Watanabe, one of the remainiang 30 people making living as a swordsmith. He has spent 40 years crafting his skills and trying to recreate Koto, a mythical sword that dates back to the Heian and Kamakura era (794-1333 AD). According to Etsy, “no documents remain to provide context for Watanabe’s quest, but he believes he has come close to creating a replica of this mythical samurai sword.”

You can view the video after the jump.

Handmade Portraits: The Sword Maker from Etsy on Vimeo.