Oku-Izumi Tama-steel handicraft is one of the industrial arts of the town of Oku-Izumi, in Shimane Prefecture, which became prosperous in iron production.
Iron production began in the Muromachi period.  Oku-Izumi is the site of the legend of the slaying of the Yamatano serpent recorded in the ‘Kojiki’. It is said that Kusanagi’s sword appeared from the serpent’s tail, and was an excellent source of steel.
Until the mid-Meiji period, Oku-Izumi  supplied 70 percent of Japan’s iron .  But as iron production became more prevalent with greater demand  and easier production methods, the Tama-steel technique died out in the fourth decade of the Showa period. Only the ‘Nippo sword Tatara’ crafted by Toriue Iron Factory survived in Japan. Tama-steel and Wa-steel are manufactured using a  traditional technique of refinement, using ‘Tatara’, which is made from iron sand. This Tama-steel has such good adhesion that a steel can be wrought that is strong enough to make beautiful swords.
Tama steel is still made by hand and the artisans are working on new forms of iron handiworks; they maintain the tradition and the knowledge of the manufacturing process.