A Rare 17th-Century Samurai Sword Was Discovered In Berlin, And It Could Have Been A Gift From Japanese Ambassadors

Berlin City Skyline in Germany at Night.
outchill - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only

During World War II, a series of cellars in Germany was destroyed. From the wreckage, archaeologists unearthed a rare 17th-century Japanese short sword.

It was found while researchers from the Berlin State Office for Monument Preservation were excavating Molkenmarkt, a historic square in Berlin.

At first, the team thought the heavily corroded short sword, known as a wakizashi, was a military parade saber.

But after further analysis, they realized the weapon was from the Edo period in Japan, which lasted from 1603 to 1868.

According to the Museum of Prehistory and Early History of the Berlin State Museums, the weapon’s blade could be even older, possibly dating back to the 16th century. The sword may have been brought to Germany as part of a diplomatic mission in the 1800s.

“Who could have imagined that at a time when Japan was isolated and hardly any European travelers came to the country, such a long-used and richly decorated weapon would end up here in Berlin?” said Matthias Wemhoff, state archaeologist of Berlin and director of the Museum of Prehistory and Early History.

The archaeological team began conducting excavations in Molkenmarkt in the winter of 2022. The square is one of the oldest spaces in Berlin.

It was a trading hub as early as the 13th century. Before World War II, the area was filled with residential houses and commercial buildings. But several bombings reduced them to rubble. Now, all that’s left are the cellars.

The cellars contained numerous war-related artifacts, including bridles, stirrups, harnesses, and curbs.

Berlin City Skyline in Germany at Night.

outchill – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only

The Japanese sword in one of the cellars was an unexpected discovery. Restoration work has revealed that the sword was a wakizashi, which acted as a weapon of status for elite individuals.

Historically, they were carried by samurai as a backup weapon for fighting in close quarters. They were paired with a longer sword called a katana.

The wooden handle of the newfound sword was likely damaged by heat, but traces of the wood were still present, along with some of its fabric wrappings.

The ferrule, or the metal ring at the base of the handle near the blade, was one centimeter wide. It depicted Daikoku, one of the seven gods of luck in Japan. He was identified by his hammer and sack of rice.

The researchers could also make out painted designs of chrysanthemum flowers. Additionally, they confirmed the blade had originally been longer, and the handle was most likely not original.

It is still unclear how the sword ended up in Berlin, but the researchers have some ideas.

“Perhaps the sword was a gift from the Takenouchi Mission in 1862 or the Iwakura Mission, which followed 11 years later, of Japanese ambassadors who visited Europe and the rest of the Western world to build relationships and gather impressions,” said Wemhoff.

“The spatial proximity of the Molkenmarkt with its surrounding aristocratic palaces to the Berlin Palace suggests this.”

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Emily  Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a ... More about Emily Chan

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