Hotarumaru in Touken Ranbu
Hotarumaru may look cute in Touken Ranbu (刀剣乱舞), but in reality it is a 136.36 cm long Odachi that once captured the heart of a great general, Aso Korezumi (? – 1364), with its grandeur and intriguing story.
Hotarumaru in Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru
The lost Hotarumaru
(Source: Aso Shrine)
Unfortunately, the sword is now no where to be found; however, a group of history lovers in Japan has revived it and let the legend of Hotarumaru carry on.
▍A Beautiful Legend
The “Hotaru” in Hotarumaru means fireflies.
An exquisite piece of art made by the Rai school during 1297, it fell into the hand of Aso Korezumi in Nanboku-cho Period. In the battle of Tatarahama (1336), the general fought a losing war in which the sword was damaged badly. One night, he had a strange dream – a swarm of fireflies clustered round this weapon that guarded him all along.
The next day, the sword looked completely fine. Every scar and crack had gone. Aso Korezumi officially named it Hotarumaru.
▍Fate
Hotarumaru survived a war once, but it didn’t make it the second time.
Its whereabout has been a mystery since 1945, the year Pacific War finished. Rumor has it that the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers got rid of it during an operation to confiscate Japanese swords. Up until today, the Japanese government is still hunting down their long-lost National Treasure.
Old Hotarumaru’s blueprint
(Source: Faavo)
▍Revival
Touken Ranbu was where it began.
In 2015, some craftmen in Gifu Prefecture launched a crowdfunding program to bring back Hotarumaru. They collected 45 million yen, which was eight times the goal. Many of the funders were Touken Ranbu lovers who wanted to protect history, just like they did in the game (by defeating enemies that attempt to rewrite history). The most generous donor was Takaki Kosaka, the president of Touken Ranbu’s developer Nitroplus. He poured 2.5 millions into the project himself.
Takaki Kosaka
(Source: kkt!)
Fusaoki Koroki, the swordsmith responsible for the project commented, “the game had absolutely so much influence”. The other swordsmith was Fusayuki Fukudome.
Fusayuki Fukudome (left) and Fusaoki Koroki (right)
(Source: kkt!)
The brand new Hotarumaru was supposed to be an offering to Aso Shrine, its home for several hundred years.
Every was going well until the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes struck.
Some structures in Aso Shrine were completely torn off during the hazard. The lucky survivors were either damaged or no longer stable.
Aso Shrine after earthquake
(Source: Aso Shrine)
For the sake of Hotarumaru, for the sake of Japanese culture, and for the sake of the victims in Kumamoto, the swordsmiths used one million yen for relief measures. After that, they sometimes held public forging sessions in the severely wrecked Aso Shrine. Not only did that attract a lot of tourists, it also brought the Kumamoto residents, who treated the Shrine with great respect, some sort of spiritual support.
Public forging session
(Source: Faavo)
Public forging session
(Source: Faavo)
In June 2017, the forging was done. On 17th June, a solemn offering ceremony was held in the shrine, gathered a number of history lovers, Touken Ranbu players, and the old people who had spent most of their lives waiting for Hotarumaru’s return. It was undoubtedly a crucial and heart-warming day to the Japanese.
Offering ceremony
(Source: kkt!)
Offering ceremony
(Source: kkt!)
Offering ceremony
(Source: kkt!)
▍Public Showcase
After the offering, Hotarumaru was on exhibit at different museums for a while. Earlier in September, QooApp visited Higo no Satoyama Gallery in Kumamoto and witnessed its radiance.
▍Touken Ranbu and Culture Preservation
Parents and teachers may say they are just swords, and that kids nowadays should not be drowned personified things. Little do these people know they are learning more about the world through an interactional and effective way while preserving valuable cultures at the same time. Games and anime are meaningful in their very own ways.
Hotarumaru’s revival is a job well done by all these Saniwa across the world. Props to everyone!
READ MORE:
• TV anime Katsugeki Touken Ranbu has a new movie in production
• Touken Ranbu surprises fans with AR experience at TGS 2017
• Touken Ranbu Stage at TGS 2017 report: Shinsengumi swords get Kiwame!
