It can take more than a year to make a single razor-sharp katana. In Japan, business is booming for the few remaining smiths ...

The samurai long sword -- or "katana" -- has a cultural resonance throughout Japan, a symbol of its history. This 13th-century samurai sword was sold by Christies New York in 1992 for $418,000.

Japanese swords have always been more than just weapons, they were artworks, status symbols, and throughout history had a huge spiritual importance. Each sword is a unique artwork, and one that is ...