On the Trail of "Tatara" <i>(</i>information on the travel in Shimane Prefecture, Japan)
January 21-22, 2015, the delegation of the Republic of Tatarstan visited Shimane Prefecture to study the metal smelting technology called the “tatara”. In Japan the famous katana swords are made from this high-quality metal. During the trip, the delegation visited four museums devoted to this technology. Researchers suggest that this method of metal smelting came to Japan about the 7 <sup>th</sup> century from the Korean Peninsula and is historically linked with the Tatars. Shimane Prefecture has significant resources of the ferruginous sand and deciduous forests essential for the production of coal. Because sand contains small amounts of iron (about 1%), it is enriched by washing in water. After the ore enrichment, the remaining layers are used for rice cultivation. The humid climate contributes to the rapid reproduction of deciduous forest and therefore Shimane was a major producer of metal and samurai swords in Japan.