By Ayako Hirayama
Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer
Paul Martin's career as a Japanese sword specialist started in an unusual way. About 15 years ago, Martin was captivated by the beauty of Japanese swords he saw at the British Museum--not as a visitor, but as a security guard at the museum.
"I saw Japanese swords close up for the first time. I didn't realize how beautiful they are," the 41-year-old Briton recalled. "When you view a Japanese sword properly, you'll find it very calming and thrilling.
"So I became very interested because they are very beautiful objects. They're not merely weapons."
As Martin's interest in Japanese swords grew, he began learning Japanese at night school. When a position for assistant curator at the museum's Japanese antiquities department became available, he applied for it. His basic language skills and knowledge of Japanese history and culture helped him land the position in 1998.
For the following five years, Martin made several trips to Japan, as a representative of the British Museum, to study swords at shrines, museums and workshops as well as to visit swordsmiths and polishers. After leaving the museum, he lived in Los Angeles for a year and eventually moved to Japan with his wife, Tiffany, in January 2004. Taking advantage of his connections with prominent figures in the field, he has since organized an exhibition, demonstrations and lectures on Japanese swords in the United States and Europe. (236 words)
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