Katana

Blacksmith Yoshihiro Yauji pulls a piece of glowing metal from the forge in a Japanese village, continuing a tradition dating back centuries to when the region was renowned for crafting swords carried by samurai.

He places the steel under a spring hammer and the sound of the metal being flattened and fortified into a kitchen knife echoes off the mountains surrounding the workshop.

Swiss customs authorities said on May 30 that they had discovered a nearly 700-year-old antique Japanese samurai sword during a routine vehicle search after it was smuggled into the country.