Seki Nobuhide Sensei, a martial arts and katana instructor, rates portrayals of samurai battles in movies and TV shows. He explains why samurai employed different types of spears in battle in "Shogun.

'The fact that foreign collectors cherish Japanese swords helps to unearth ancient works taken overseas after 1945. It also serves as a force for preserving traditional techniques facing extinction.

Samurai artist Tetsuro Shimaguchi, head of the samurai school Kamui, is training a new generation of youth from around the world in the ways of the sword, as well as the warrior's mindset. Tetsuro has ...

Japanese swords focus on powerful cutting with a curved blade, while Chinese swords emphasize balance and movement with straight or curved designs. Japanese sword combat is direct and precise, whereas ...