Tsurumaru Kuninaga – Legendary Japanese Yokai Sword Orthographic Reference

Folklore Episode – Tsurumaru Kuninaga

Tsurumaru Kuninaga is remembered as a blade deeply connected to courtly culture and refined symbolism.
Its name, “Crane Circle,” invokes the crane — a bird traditionally associated with longevity, elegance, and divine favor in Japanese belief.

Unlike swords defined primarily by battle legends, Tsurumaru occupies a ceremonial position.
It represents continuity, legitimacy, and the spiritual order surrounding the imperial court.
Such swords were preserved, displayed, and transmitted not simply as weapons, but as carriers of authority and sacred tradition.

In folklore interpretation, Tsurumaru reflects a worldview in which harmony and ritual stability are forms of protection.
Rather than confronting monsters directly, it maintains the balance that prevents disorder from emerging.

This positions Tsurumaru as a symbolic counterpart to demon-slaying blades:
where those embody decisive conflict, Tsurumaru embodies preservation, purity, and ritual continuity.