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Exploring the castle town in Kagawa Prefecture that inspired its own free-to-play RPG

Marugame Castle also holds the distinction of being one of only 12 castles in Japan with this particular architectural element left intact.  

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Turn your plastic fan (or whatever you want) into the hilt of a katana

Never lose grip of your fan again with this simple how-to samurai guide

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Ingenious cosplayer shows us how to make sword blades nearly two meters long for a few bucks

Sub-meter decorative swords just not cutting it for you? Try this method for legendary blades of up to 1.82 meters (6 feet) that won’t slice into your budget too much.

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These new samurai sword scissors are gorgeous and we want them now!

Sanada Yukimura is among the most popular military leaders of medieval Japan. And now you can use his swords and spear to mangle all the paperwork you hate!

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Man brandishes samurai sword in New York Apple store, allegedly attempts to commit seppuku

Someone took the phrase “cutting in line” way too literally…

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Hey! Listen! Official Legend of Zelda sword, shield, and Link costume now available

October is just around the corner and you know what that means: evil spirits and trick-or-treating. And whether you’re going on a quest to save the princess or just to get all the free candy you can, now you can do it in style with an official Legend of Zelda Link costume.

Have you ever wanted to bomb some Dodongos or rough up some Cuccos? Well, now’s your chance with your very own Master Sword, Hylian Shield, and Link outfit. Where can your procure these legendary items? Read on and get ready for adventure, brave warrior!

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  • Aug 19, 2015

Evangelion exhibit-inspired figure gives us Asuka in a beautiful kimono!

Remember the  Evangelion and Japanese Sword Exhibition that we reported on a while back? We thought the idea was pretty cool, because…well, an exhibit that brings together an internationally popular anime and beautiful deadly weapons of steel has to be awesome, right? And we think you’d agree that such a unique exhibit deserves a commemorative item that’s just as unique and artistic.

Evangelion fans need look no further, because toy manufacturer Takara Tomy has come up with just that — a series of original tie-in figures of the anime’s three female pilots as they appear in promotional artwork for the exhibit…in magnificent kimono! 

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Is that a giant sword in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?【Video】

What child hasn’t run around swinging a giant sword at imaginary enemies? We did it when we were kids and we’ll bet dollars to doughnuts that you did too! It’s just too bad that you can’t do it as an adult–at least not without someone calling the police! (Don’t ask how we know.)

Except that you totally can! Iaido, a Japanese martial art which uses real swords, is all about swinging blades at imaginary enemies–and it’s a hell of a lot of fun. Of course, most iaido schools don’t use “giant” swords, since, in reality, an arm can only stretch so far. But certain styles have told reality to go jump in a river and given practitioners swords big enough to make Sephiroth blush.

Check out the awesome “giant sword” videos taking the Japanese Internet by storm below!

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Learning Edo-era blade polishing techniques from a Japanese master

Have you taken a close look lately at the knives you use every day when preparing food? If you’ve been using them for many years, they are no doubt dull and in need of a sharper replacement, especially if you want to do any fancy knife work. While it may seem easier to just go out and buy a new set, you might be inspired to learn how to sharpen and polish them yourselves when you hear about the ancient Japanese art of blade sharpening and the few remaining craftsmen practicing it. Click below to read about our visit to one such sharpening master in Tokyo!

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Singapore “samurai” faces up to five years in jail after swinging sword on subway

It’s all happening on Asia’s trains this week, isn’t it? According to Southeast Asian news sources, a man dressed in “samurai” garb faces up to five years in prison and “flogging” after jumping the ticket gate and then brandishing a full-length samurai sword on board a busy subway train on Monday this week.

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Future and Past Collide as Long-Awaited “Evangelion and Japanese Sword Exhibit” Opens

You may have read our previous report about how Japan’s top sword makers had been called upon to bring your favorite weapons from the hit anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion off the screen and into reality.

Well, the day has finally arrived as the Bizen Japanese Sword Museum has at long last opened their “Evangelion & Japanese Sword Exhibit” utilizing traditional sword making techniques to create swords of the future Evangelion universe.

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