Okuizumo Tatara and Sword Museum 奥出雲たたらと刀剣博物館

Official explanation

The Okuizumo Tatara and Sword Museum presents the history of tatara ironmaking and the ongoing practice of traditional swordsmithing. Okuizumo is the only place where the tatara smelting method is still practiced, and this museum is one of several facilities dedicated to the region’s ironmaking heritage.

The tatara method of ironmaking is unique to Japan and dates to the latter half of the sixth century. A charcoal-fed clay furnace is used to smelt iron sand over the course of several days, producing a multi-ton mass of iron, slag, and steel called a “bloom.” This method is the only way to produce tamahagane steel, which is prized by Japanese swordsmiths.

Read the full explanation

The exhibits in the first half of the museum introduce the rise and eventual decline of the tatara method. The museum’s second half focuses on contemporary efforts to revive tatara smelting to create steel for modern swordsmiths. Tatara ironmaking was more than a production method; it was also an industry that shaped the cultures of Okuizumo and the broader San’in region (Shimane and Tottori Prefectures).

出典: 地域観光資源の多言語解説文データベース（観光庁） — www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db. この英語解説文は観光庁の地域観光資源の多言語解説整備支援事業で作成しました。
Source: Japan Tourism Agency, Multilingual Explanation Database. This English text was produced by the Japan Tourism Agency's multilingual explanation project and is shown unedited. Opening hours and services may have changed since it was written.