Invictus
Keeping traditions alive is not an easy commitment, but Edson Suemitsu, a Brazilian with Japanese heritage, has dedicated more than 40 years of his life to maintaining the craft of his forefathers, Reuters reported.
In a country known for its beaches, soccer and flamboyant carnivals, the 61-year-old is Brazil’s only full-time katana swordsmith.
Dubbed the country’s “last samurai,” Suemitsu has been making a living by forging katanas, a type of curved sword used by the noble samurai in ancient Japan.
He became interested in the craft after seeing his Japanese-born grandfather creating blades as tools to fight venomous snakes at their frontier farm in southern Brazil.
He later picked up the art of making katanas through extensive trial and error, and the laborious method proved fruitful.
In four decades Suemitsu has forged around 1,000 swords ranging in price from about $1,400 to $4,500, and has clients from all over the world.
But the process it not easy: He works alone for long days and weekends to produce three swords a month.
Despite the challenges, the master swordsmith has no plans to retire or find someone to pass the torch to.
“I don’t know if I’ll have successors because the work is very complex,” he said. “It can’t be for the money, it has to be for the heart.”
Click here to see his craft.
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