Tameshigiri Experience in Gifu
We had the chance to try “Tameshigiri” (test cutting) in Gifu Prefecture. Tameshigiri, also called shizan, is a unique activity where you cut real targets with a genuine Japanese sword.
The first challenge was bamboo. The challenger: Dai from the samurai performance team KATANAYA ICHI. He’s a veteran with 24 years of stage sword-fighting experience, but this was his very first time cutting with a real katana.
His first strike bounced off with a loud “boing!”—sending the whole room into laughter. But thanks to expert advice from swordsmith Masaya, his form quickly improved, and soon he sliced cleanly through the bamboo.
Next came the rolled straw target (makiwara). After several attempts, Dai finally landed a perfect cut, and the crowd erupted in cheers.
Holding a real katana and slicing through the target was an unforgettable thrill—something you can never experience in everyday life.
It’s an activity I’d recommend to both foreigners and Japanese alike. For Japanese people, it feels almost like the reverse of firing a gun abroad during a trip.
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