Made in Japan?

Sword found in 19th-century German cellar is something much older — and from far away. Hidden under a street in central Berlin, an ancient artifact was discovered in war rubble…

Based on the other items found underground, archaeologists assumed the sword was a parade weapon used by a German soldier. It was passed to the Museum of Prehistory and Early history to be restored…

The wood handle and some of the cloth wrapping was preserved, allowing archaeologists to see a motif on the handle. It was an image of Daikoku, one of the seven gods of luck from Japan, archaeologists said. He was holding a hammer and rice sack, his known attributes, and was surrounded by motifs of chrysanthemums and a waterline…

The sword was a Japanese wakizashi, and, based on the artwork, was dated to the Edo period by archaeologists, a time ranging from the 17th to 19th century.