What a beautiful cut! The top doesn't even move until the bottom bounces up and hits it.

"This practice was popularized in the Edo period (17th century) for testing the quality of swords and continues through the present day."

However in the present day they don't test on condemned criminals.......pity really.... (Just joking)

While we're on the topic, test cutting was not only popular, but vital for seventeenth century Samurai. One of the requirements for a worthy blade was that it must be able to sever a man in two (I believe from one side of the neck down to the opposite hip). What better way to test this than on an actual person?

Well, where did they find volunteers? They . . . didn't. It was considered perfectly acceptable (among the Japanese, at least) for Samurai to pounce upon unsuspecting foreigners (usually merchants) to perform a . . . test cut.

This would be devastating if you were attacked by an army of tomato-men.

Wow!

That was cool. That tomato looks tasty.

"This practice was popularized in the Edo period (17th century) for testing the quality of swords and continues through the present day."

Since the tomato is a new-world fruit...did they even have tomatoes in 17th century Japan? Considering that there probably weren't any tomatoes in Japan at the time, I question that the whole Samari movement ever existed at all, but was just made up by some manga artist!

Yeah, I know...I'm being pedantic....even though I'm using "pedantic" wrong in this sentence.

this has to be what started 'attack of the killer tomatoes'!!

cool, but t'would've been awesome-cool if the tomato didn't budge

Yuck. Tomatoes are disgusting. Cool video though.

Has nothing to do with Quality of the sword, see this..

http://www.videosift.com/video/Blunt-European-Longsword-cutting-a-tatami-mat

I would really like to see a vid of a test cut with a samurai sword that can cleave through a carcass. Once I see that I'll believe the Katana through a body story.

Wow! Just like in Underworld!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35iZsw4c0OU

another way to test not only the quality of the sword but its sharpness was one was supposed to be able to hold the sword level right on top of the water in a river, and cut any leaves floating by into two leaves, half the thickness.

Tomatoes don't hit back.

whoa it must be so difficult to wield a sword so slowly. and it cuts anyway!

Tomatoes everywhere: beware.

*asia

*science *nature *sports

Adding video to channels (Nature, Science, Sports) - requested by arvana.

*timeshift

Adding video to channels (Timeshift) - requested by jimnms.