Tsuba is the a hand guard a Japanese sword, with the primary role of protecting the hand. However, during the long period of peace of the Edo period, the swords slowly became expressions of status and the hand guard started to be made as a work of art.

Photographed here is a beautiful example, a tsuba with fine golden decorations owned by a high-ranking samurai family.

Tsuba, Aoyagi Samurai House, Kakunodate, Akita

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Yesterday’s Japan Photo: Simply beautiful Japanese scenes, Imabari, the castle on the sea