Kotetsu/Origin

{| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" class="article-table" style="width: 660px;"

Origin
Kotetsu is the sword, or Katana, of Isami Kondo. Historically, katana were one of the traditionally made Japanese swords that were worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan, also commonly referred to as a "samurai sword". Modern versions of the katana are sometimes made using non-traditional materials and methods. The katana is characterized by its distinctive appearance: a curved, slender, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands. It has historically been associated with the samurai of feudal Japan, and has become renowned for its sharpness and strength.

Owner
Isami Kondo was a Japanese swordsman, and official of the late Edo period, famed for his role as the commander of the Shinsengumi. He was said to be an avid reader, and loved the stories, "Forty-seven Ronin", and "Romance of the Three Kingdoms". It is said he owned the sword Kotetsu, but the authenticity of Kotetsu is highly debatable. It may have been made by Minamoto no Kiyomaru, a sword maker of high repute roughly contemporary to Kondo.