In Chapter XIII of Nitobe’s work, the writer speaks about the swordsmiths as follows: “The swordsmith was not a mere artisan but an inspired artist and his workshop a sanctuary. As swords were so highly revered, the swordsmith’s work became an immensely important task.
In Nitobe Inazo’s 1899 work exploring the way of the samurai, Bushido, the Soul of Japan, the sword is dubbed as the ‘Soul of the Samurai’.
