How to Become a Japanese Swordmaker (Part 2)

[@nicholascross1283]

I miss this style of documentaries 🥲

[@phreezleva4568]

facts

[@javidm.f8533]

Truly, being born in the 90s was the greatest blessing 😢

[@blech71]

Me too. I also miss Japanology… I think the host was Peter Barakahn or something like that.

[@thekeysman6760]

This style of documentary*

[@axelmilan4292]

4:31 90 years old and he still has that level of mobility. Truly impressive.

[@bubbaparrish1454]

I wonder if Roberto ever achieved his goal can we please have a revisit?

[@OurHumanPlanet]

Sure! Roberto used to go to a Friday night karaoke bar after he finished polishing swords for the day. One evening he was approached by a voice coach who asked him if he had ever sung professionally. A year later Roberto made his professional debut as... an opera singer. He has since 1) gotten his sword making license and 2) found success in Japan and Italy singing opera. I am going to contact him and ask if I can pass on some of his information to those who wish to contact him. He is an extraordinary man.

[@Sheepheadz]

@@OurHumanPlanet Does he still make swords? kinda funny he became an opera singer like the swordsmiths son aspired to be, didnt see that one coming.

[@OurHumanPlanet]

I didn't see it coming either but Roberto is an amazingly talented man. He is no longer making swords - he told me that the grit in the air at the forge damages his voice. He is, however, a successful opera singer. I wonder what his next career will be?

[@singtang2]

@@OurHumanPlanet did Roberto marry his sensi's daughter?

[@bigboi5133]

@@OurHumanPlanet how did you come into contact with the sword smith

[@TheMediaMachine]

This would make an incredible Manga book and also an anime movie. He porbably lead an extraordinary life since this video.

[@pistazieneis415]

according to the autor''s video Roberto later became an opera singer lol

[@lastlogicallib]

24 generations?! Our family business was started by my great grandfather and his twin brother in 1922. For our centennial, a regional periodical published a story about how apparently rare it is in the US for a small blue collar shop to last 100 years(same location, same family). At the time, we were only 1 of about 1,100. Makes me proud to be a part of it.

[@charbeleid193]

No shit a country founded on colonialism and built on the ruins of a civilization it massacred does not have history and tradition... There was tradition in the Americas. Your people destroyed it.

[@petronamendoza8517]

This channel deserves more love.

[@OurHumanPlanet]

...and this one too! :)

[@SettoHexxo]

God bless you mate. Living the dream.

[@starlifeforce]

So much emotion.

[@yozza4978]

I love how committed and disciplined roberto is, I'd love to know where he is now, im glad i found this chanel, it has so many interesting videos, not the same old common things most other channels post.

[@NinjaNinkar]

he's doing the impossible... he's becoming japanese.. bruh i'm fn dead 5:21

[@BadRager599]

Yeah that was insane 😂

[@eamonbusse9981]

I immediately went to the comments

[@Y1001]

same that killed me

[@jhammylive]

😂😂😂😂

[@robosing225]

"I really think so."

[@ShockCharger9]

Wow. This is such an amazing story. I'd watch a movie on a story like Roberto's

[@DMWBN3]

Amazing dedication. Super interesting.

[@Upt.Spider]

Could we possibly get an update on Roberto

[@charbeleid193]

Top comment

[@JavierNYC423]

He became some kind of opera singer

[@brads0107able]

I love that he already trusted to polish the sword. "Im turning Japanese I really think so" reminded of that when she said that

[@NormBash]

You aren't the only one.. also I immediately went looking for a comment about it after she said.. your comment was on top for me. Less than 30 seconds after hearing her say, he is turning Japanese.

[@K4G-117]

This was incredible

[@petronamendoza8517]

Thank you for the videos.

[@OurHumanPlanet]

Thank YOU for your kind comment, Petronamendendoza8517!

[@bjrngundersen5830]

Incredible work, Karin. I absolutely love watching your videos; it’s a shame that I just learned about them, rather than sooner. Your work is the best kind of content on KZbin and I hope that your passion hasn’t wavered.

[@OurHumanPlanet]

Thank you so much, Bjrngundersen! Your words mean more than you know. And yes, I'm still filming - currently on a 4-year shoot in the USA (in a camper which doubles as my editing studio) to find and document "Unsung Heroes". In six months I finish and head back overseas. With people like you watching, I'll keep posting!

[@ggcpres]

​@@OurHumanPlanet you're in America? Nice! I hope you have a good time and eat plenty of whatever the local specialty is. My neck of the woods is beer and pizza, but most places have something tasty.

[@mygalsiii]

@@OurHumanPlanet Considering that we know what became of Roberto but people still seem to want to know more about how things turned out I was thinking what might be best way to do that would be to actually shift the focus from the apprentice to the master. Just think of it, you could make like you're doing a follow up piece, briefly cover what became of Roberto, then bring the focus on to Masamune's fate. It would be amazing to get him to open up about how they met and why he chose to take Roberto for an apprentice (since I'm going to guess Nakamura won't be available to ask the same questions of) and what he had hoped would be the end result. Like was he trying to change the culture, was he just that desperate to train a successor, did he just want to pass on his knowledge or simply add or expand the number of sword makers in the world to help keep the ways of the blades alive? Create a competent competitor to help cut his back log in half or perhaps have around to help him catch up on his workload? Maybe make his son jealous enough to step up and carry on in the family trade? Is he satisfied with how things went and proud of his student? What does he think will become of the legendary masamune name now?

[@GorgeousRandyFlamethrower]

Lady, you need to do more videos like this! I can’t believe there’s only 2 videos about Japanese sword making. I enjoyed this a lot and you should make more videos About this topic

[@deagle2yadome696]

what’s the other one? oh part 1?

[@hasitcometothis7431]

Love these insights into the lives of extraordinary people.

[@chriskaufman5214]

Doesn't hurt having the last name "masamune".

[@BrooksDunn]

The samurai?

[@thiagopds13]

​@@BrooksDunn Masamune is a family of swordsmith.

[@crazydrunk88]

Your voice sounds familiar, and this video looks familiar. It's been a while though. I vaguely remember the pilgrimage one. So nice to see this again.

[@OurHumanPlanet]

Yes! That was me. Thank you for remembering, @crazydrunk88!

[@crazydrunk88]

@@OurHumanPlanetVery cool! Nice to know that you're doing well. Is everything from that series here on your channel?

[@nattylite9220]

I’m honestly very sad he chose to be an opera singer instead of a swordsman because I would’ve loved to see what he was capable of but I’m very happy he found another true artistic passion he could pursue as a career. One miraculous man

[@OurHumanPlanet]

Sadly, I think Roberto realized that he was not going to be accepted as a sword maker in Japan, no matter how hard he worked to master his forging/polishing skills. He is indeed an extraordinarily talented man.

[@aminoussou2117]

Is hilarious that he took his sensei's son place as top student and he left the whole career of swordsman to become what Masamune's son wanted to be 😅 a opera singer 😂

[@antagonist_fury]

Damn those two very opposite talents

[@Ramiromaycry]

@@aminoussou2117 big slap in the face for the Masamune family since he could do both things better than the bloodline.

[@edenzalt2511]

​@@Ramiromaycry he probably counts masamune and his family as his own nobody becomes an apprentice for five years and not grow attached to said person I guarantee masamune pushed for him to do opera after Roberto realized his potential and that Japan is corrupt and will never deem him worthy other than masamune!!! Both our respectable men with great passions in life and talent!

[@GustavoGiuseppeMedeirosCavalca]

As a Brazilian, i knew Roberto was brazilian since he appeared the first time, his vibes tottally checks out a brazilian otaku

[@MojoMountainMan]

Thin clay at the edge to make a fine grain for good sharpening, and thick at the spine to make a bigger molecule that gives the sword its strength

[@philiposdrontzas3725]

Amazing documentary! Good job!

[@OurHumanPlanet]

Thank you, philiposdrontzas3725!

[@dizzeedandan4744]

​@@OurHumanPlanet tgis mini doc had me hooked am a subscriber now. I love seing the ancient arts oassed down through generations. Id love to commision a genuine sward lije this to bw made for mw id i had thw money passio. And time. Long live the ancient sacres arts ❤

[@jessereyna6662]

Oddly enough just like Masamune only song Roberto chose to be come an Opera singer. This is what I found when I looked him up. After one night or polishing he and his friends went out to a Karaoke bar and was found. Now he sings Opera and splits his time between Italy and Japan. This is a choice he made once he found out he would not get Masamune’s name.

[@OurHumanPlanet]

Yes! Sample of Roberto singing: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hX-4i4p5eqprr80

[@deagle2yadome696]

who is masamune?

[@Imdatninja18]

I wanna buy one of his swords

[@bobelkiniii1461]

I want a update

[@b-smooth6742]

Same here yo 💯💯💯

[@nick5141995]

Can I have any additional information on how to become a Japanese swordsmith? I know as an American, I will be required to become a Japanese citizen. I don’t intend on moving for many more years. I just want to be sure I have a path to citizenship. Information is scarce online about this art.

[@hunters36forgingwoodworkin73]

I understand I might be a few years late but you should try contacting any friend or family in Japan or maybe taking a look at the Japanese government website on how.

[@NewJourney]

Living that anime life😎

[@mountainwolf1]

I must know when you say masamune, do you mean of Gorō Nyūdō Masamune leinage?

[@famous5693]

Great show 👍

[@OurHumanPlanet]

Thank you, Srinivas Das!

[@bobelkiniii1461]

That’s inspiring

[@kuzkateco]

Roberto would probably benefit from learning Katori Shinto Ryu

[@markjuarezmma]

Where’s part 1??

[@OurHumanPlanet]

This is an excerpt from a four-hour series I shot on Japan for PBS. You can see most of the rest of it (videos 2-6) in the Japan playlist on this channel. Playlist (sorry- you may have to copy and paste): kzbin.info/aero/PL_7VB541dEOFHadNTjae4HghjwlkDJ2hM. Also - if you doubt Roberto's talent as an opera singer: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hX-4i4p5eqprr80

[@susi2502]

Isn't crazy that the only son of the Masamune family wanted to be an opera singer? Then not only Roberto was the best swordsman apprentice but also became a successful opera singer and married the daughter of this master.

[@OurHumanPlanet]

Sometimes truth is indeed stranger than fiction...

[@chefboyardee9618]

If i ever just disappear out of nowhere FOR SURE im at Roberto's doing my 10 year apprenticeship

[@pjriego]

Did he succeed?

[@thai33oz]

He looks like the real life version of wreck it Ralph

[@ChrisMusson-kv8ph]

He is the king WEEB!

[@LLsjourney]

My Guy made it hé a fucking samurai

[@Rasta_124]

Damn so whole time they shouldn’t have let him into the mix 🤦🏾‍♂️

[@Smoink]

Man some people are just way cooler than me 😂😂

[@MrMustashio12]

+2

[@humberto5889]

Masamune's son surely hates Roberto, a Gaijin not only was way better than him at the family business but actually became very succesfull at his opera singing dream instead of him. And did I understand it rigth? Did Roberto married and divorced his sister?

[@OurHumanPlanet]

Almost right! I'm afraid I wasn't very clear about one point - Roberto's father in law was his sword POLISHING master. Masamune was his swordMAKING master. Two different people. Roberto married into the polisher's family...

[@sabareesh129]

It's 2024. Did he succeeded making his dream Katana???

[@OurHumanPlanet]

He did! But he did not get Masamune's name. :(

[@HiHi-tc9rc]

@@OurHumanPlanetwhy?

[@andrewmitchell5665]

I think he's turning Japanese, I think he's turning Japanese, I really think so 😂

[@Boat313]

cnc macnine

[@savvy.7]

!!Amazingoh… I would love to see an Slice of life anime on him. what say?

[@williegordon7458]

Weeb god king emperor

[@NormDiesel]

I would think a real Masamune would be worth more than 15k. That’s a shame 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@jamesblackburn1576]

Say this dude alive lol?

[@1scraper23]

No he died doing a Sudoku

[@jetlui87]

"young ppl do to many US things" thats actually the problem with the youth

[@Opotomuss]

Does the master sword maker have any daughters ??? Maybe Roberto thinks one of them is cute and maybe date and marry then bam he family and they keep legacy going ...

[@Marg0Pol0]

I'm not sure if it was in this or the preview, but I believe she mentioned he'd married a sword polisher's daughter

[@Emmn76]

@Opotomuss In one of the comments is mentioned that he married the swordmaker's daughter and they had one kid, but have since divorced and he married again

[@JuliolujanLujan-vl9qo]

I’m here because everything in 2024 sucks

[@IamRepublican1982]

Don't worry life gets worse.

[@JJ.Williams96]

Maybe so but, you should use this video as motivation to 'be the hero you want to be'. Just like Roberto✨⚔️

[@dockspringfield1213]

What a waste of time. This is not the 1600s.

[@dizzeedandan4744]

What a stupid comment

[@JoshMartin-x1x]

Ah but we will NOT always have guns,missles,explosives😮😊

[@sabareesh129]

It's 2024. Did he succeeded making his dream Katana???