List of National Treasures of Japan (crafts: swords)
Introduction from left to right: naginata, tsurugi, tantō, katana and tachi (not to scale)The term "National Treasure" has been used in Japan to denote cultural properties since 1897,although the definition and the criteria have changed since the introduction of the term. The swords and sword mountings in the list adhere to the current definition, and have been designated national treasures according to the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties that came into effect on June 9, 1951.The items are selected by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology based on their "especially high historical or artistic value". The list presents 110 swords and 12 sword mountings from ancient to feudal Japan, spanning from the late Kofun to the Muromachi period. The objects are housed in Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, museums or held privately. The Tokyo National Museum houses the largest number of these national treasures, with 20 of the 122.During the Yayoi period from about 300 BC to 300 AD, iron tools and weapons such as knives, axes, swords or spears, were introduced to Japan from China via the Korean peninsula. Shortly after this event, Chinese, Korean, and eventually Japanese swordsmiths produced ironwork locally. Swords were forged to imitate Chinese blades: generally straight chokutō with faulty tempering. Worn slung from the waist, they were likely used as stabbing and slashing weapons. Although functionally it would generally be more accurate to define them as hacking rather than slashing weapons. Swordmaking centers developed in Yamato, San'in and Mutsu where various types of blades such as tsurugi, tōsu and tachi were produced. Flat double-edged (''hira-zukuri'') blades originated in the Kofun period, and around the mid-Kofun period swords evolved from thrusting to cutting weapons. Ancient swords were also religious objects according to the 8th century chronicles Nihon Shoki and Kojiki. In fact, one of the Imperial Regalia of Japan is a sword, and swords have been discovered in ancient tumuli or handed down as treasures of Shinto shrines or Buddhist temples. Few ancient blades (''jokotō'') exist because the iron has been corroded by humidity.The transition from straight ''jokotō'' or ''chokutō'' to deliberately curved, and much more refined Japanese swords (''nihontō''), occurred gradually over a long period of time, although few extant swords from the transition period exist. Dating to the 8th century, Shōsōin swords and the Kogarasu Maru show a deliberately produced curve. Yasutsuna from Hōki Province forged curved swords that are considered to be of excellent quality. Stylistic change since then is minimal, and his works are considered the beginning of the old sword (''kotō'') period, which existed until 1596, and produced the best-known Japanese swordsmiths. According to sources Yasutsuna may have lived in the Daidō era (806–809), around 900; or more likely, was a contemporary of Sanjō Munechika and active in the Eien era (987, 988). The change in blade shape increased with the introduction of horses (after 941) into the battlefield, from which sweeping cutting strokes with curved swords were more effective than stabbing lunges required of foot soldiers. Imparting a deliberate curve is a technological challenge requiring the reversal of natural bending that occurred when the sword edge is hammered. The development of a ridge (''shinogi'') along the blade was essential for construction. Various military conflicts during the Heian period helped to perfect the techniques of swordsmanship, and led to the establishment of swordsmiths around the country. They settled in locations close to administrative centers, where the demand for swords was high, and in areas with easy access to ore, charcoal and water. Originally smiths did not belong to any school or tradition. Around the mid to late-Heian period distinct styles of workmanship developed in certain regional centers. The best known of these schools or traditions are the ''gokaden'' (five traditions) with each producing a distinct style of workmanship and associated with the five provinces: Yamashiro, Yamato, Bizen, Sagami/Sōshū and Mino. These five schools produced about 80% of all kotō period swords. Each school consisted of several branches. In the late Heian period Emperor Go-Toba, a sword lover, summoned swordsmiths from the Awataguchi school of Yamashiro, the Ichimonji school of Bizen and the Aoe school of Bitchū Province to forge swords at his palace. These smiths, known as ''goban kaji'' (honorable rotation smiths) are considered to have been the finest swordsmiths of their time. Go-Toba selected from the Awataguchi, Hisakuni and Ichimonji Nobufusa to collaborate on his own tempering. Early Kamakura period tachi had an elaborately finished tang and an elegant dignified overall shape (''sugata''). Tantō daggers from the same period showed a slight outward curvature.Around the mid-Kamakura period, the warrior class reached its peak of prosperity. Consequently, sword production was thriving in many parts of Japan. Following the Mongol invasions of 1274 and 1281, smiths aimed at producing stronger swords that would pierce the heavy armour of the invaders. To achieve this, tachi became wider, thicker with an overall grand appearance (''sugata'') and a straight temper line. With the Mongol threat dissipated at the end of the Kamakura period, this trend was partially reversed, as blades grew longer with a more dignified shape than those from the mid-Kamakura period. However the so-called "unchangeable smiths", including Rai Kunitoshi, Rai Kunimitsu, Osafune Nagamitsu and Osafune Kagemitsu, continued to produce swords of the elegant style of the late Heian/early Kamakura period. These swords were particularly popular with Kyoto's aristocracy. The production of tantō daggers increased considerably towards the late Kamakura period. Master tantō makers include Awataguchi Yoshimitsu, Rai Kunitoshi, Shintōgo Kunimitsu, Osafune Kagemitsu, Etchū Norishige and Samonji. The naginata appeared as a new weapon in the late Kamakura period. The confrontation between the Northern and Southern Court resulted in a 60-year-long power struggle between warrior lords known as the Nanboku-chō period and caused a tremendous demand for swords. The stylistic trends of the Kamakura period continued, and tachi were characterized by magnificent shape, growing in overall length and the length of the point (''kissaki''). They were generally wide and disproportionately thin. Similarly tantō grew in size to  and became known as ko-wakizashi or sunnobi tantō (extended knives). But also tantō shorter than those of the Kamakura period were being forged. Enormous tachi called seoi-tachi (shouldering swords), nodachi (field swords) and ōdachi with blades  long were forged. The high demand for swords during feudal civil wars after 1467 (Sengoku period) resulted in mass production and low quality swords as swordsmiths no longer refined their own steel. There are no national treasure swords after this period.
Statistics  Prefecture City National Treasures Aichi Nagoya 8 Ehime Imabari 3 Fukuoka Dazaifu 1 Fukuoka 2 Yanagawa 1 Gifu Takayama 1 Hiroshima Hatsukaichi 2 Private 5 Hyōgo Nishinomiya 2 Ibaraki Kashima 1 Tsuchiura 1 Ishikawa Kanazawa 1 Kagoshima Kagoshima 1 Kanagawa Kamakura 1 Kōchi Hidaka 1 Kyoto Kyoto 3 Nara Nara 6 Okayama Okayama 3  Private 1  Osaka Osaka 3 Private 9 Saitama Saitama 2 Shizuoka Numazu 1 Mishima 1 Private 2 Shizuoka 1 Tochigi Nikkō 4 Tokyo Private 12 Tokyo 39 Yamagata Tsuruoka 2 Yamaguchi Hōfu 1 Iwakuni 1 Period National Treasures Kofun period 1 Asuka period 2 Heian period 19 Kamakura period 86 Nanboku-chō period 13 Muromachi period 1Present location of sword National Treasures of Japan
Usage The table's columns (except for ''Remarks'' and ''Design and material'') are sortable pressing the arrows symbols. The following gives an overview of what is included in the table and how the sorting works. Not all tables have all of the following columns. *''Type/Name'': type of sword or sword mounting; blades mentioned in the kyōhō era Kyōhō Meibutsuchō as masterpieces (''meibutsu'') are mentioned by name and marked in yellow*''Signature'': for signed swords, the signature and its reading; otherwise "unsigned"*''Swordsmith'': name of the swordsmith who forged the blade; if applicable it includes the name of the school; the ten students of Masamune (''juttetsu'') are marked in green; the ''goban kaji'', smiths summoned to the court of Emperor Go-Toba are marked in blue*''Remarks'': additional information such as notable owners or its curvature*''Date'': period and year; the column entries sort by year. If the entry can only be dated to a time-period, they sort by the start year of that period*''Length'': distance from the notch to the tip of the sword*''Present location'': "temple/museum/shrine-name town-name prefecture-name"; column entries sort as "prefecture-name town-name temple/museum/shrine-name"The table of sword mountings differentiates between ''Sword type'' and ''Mounting type''; includes a column on the employed ''Design and material''; and lists the ''Overall length'' as the mounting in addition to the sword's length. ;Key#Meibutsu*One of the ten students of Masamune^One of the ''goban kaji''
Treasures ===Ancient swords (jokotō)===The Great Bear swordFour ancient straight swords (''chokutō'') and one tsurugi handed down in possession of temples and shrines have been designated as National Treasure craft items. A notable collection of 55 swords and other weapons from the 8th century have been preserved in the Shōsōin collection. Being under the supervision of the Imperial Household Agency, neither these items nor the well known Kogarasu Maru are National Treasures. Name Remarks Date Type Length Present location  Double-edged blade, said to be the oldest Japanese object transmitted from generation to generation; offered to Kunitokotachi by the Kusakabe clan and worshipped as shintai of Omura Shrine; , hilt length: , scabbard length:   0500late Kofun period chokutōChokutō  Kochi Hidaka Omura ShrineOmura Shrine, Hidaka, Kōchi  or Seven Stars Sword The sword contains a gold inlay of clouds and seven stars forming the Great Bear constellation. According to a document at Shitennō-ji, this sword was owned by Prince Shōtoku. Considered to be directly imported from the Asian continent 0600Asuka period, 7th century chokutōChokutō  Osaka Osaka ShintennojiShitennō-ji, Osaka  The sword contains an inscription in gold inlay:  which according to one theory, represents 丙子 (bǐng-zǐ), which is a stem-branch of the Sexagenary cycle and the author's name: . According to a document at Shitennō-ji, this sword was owned by Prince Shōtoku. Considered to be directly imported from the Asian continent 0538Asuka period chokutōChokutō  Osaka Osaka ShintennojiShitennō-ji, Osaka Chokutō (or ) and  Legendary sword used by Emperor Jimmu to found the Japanese nation 0794early Heian period chokutōChokutō  Ibaraki Kashima Kashima ShrineKashima Shrine, Kashima, Ibaraki, Ibaraki  Handle in the shape of a Buddhist ritual implement, a pestle like weapon with three prongs (''sanko''); double-edged sword for ceremonial use only 0794early Heian period tsurugiTsurugi  Kyoto Kyoto Kyoto National Museumcustodian: Kyoto National Museum, Kyoto, Kyoto (owner: Kongō-ji, Kawachinagano, Osaka)===Old swords (''kotō'')===105 swords from the ''kotō'' period (late 10th century to 1596) including tachi (61), tantō (26), katana (11), ōdachi (3), naginata (2), tsurugi (1) and kodachi (1) have been designated as national treasures. They represent works of four of the five traditions: Yamato (5), Yamashiro (19), Sōshū (19), Bizen (45); and blades from Etchū Province (3), Bitchū Province (5), Hōki Province (2) and Saikaidō (7).====Yamato Province====alt=Centers of sword production were located in central and western Japan. The provinces associated with the five traditions: Yamato, Bizen, Yamashiro, Mino and Sagami are located in central Japan.The Yamato tradition is the oldest, originating as early as the 4th century with the introduction of ironworking techniques from the mainland. According to legend, the smith Amakuni forged the first single-edged long swords with curvature (tachi) around 700.Even though there is no authentication of this event or date, the earliest Japanese swords were probably forged in Yamato Province. During the Nara period, many good smiths were located around the capital in Nara. They moved to Kyoto when it became capital at the beginning of the Heian period, but about 1200 smiths gathered again in Nara when the various sects centered in Nara rose to power during the Kamakura period and needed weapons to arm their monks. Thus, the Yamato tradition is associated closely with the warrior monks of Nara. Yamato tradition sugata is characterized by a deep torii-zori, high shinogi, and slightly extended kissaki. The jihada is mostly masame-hada, and the hamon is suguha, with rough nie. The bōshi is mainly ko-maru. Generally the style of Yamato blades is considered to be restrained, conservative and static. Five major schools or branches of the Yamato tradition are distinguished: Senjuin, Shikkake, Taima, Tegai and Hōshō. Four of the five schools are represented by national treasure swords. Name Signature Swordsmith Remarks Date Length Present location Tachi   Sword by the founder of the Taima branch; handed down in the Abe clan; curvature:  1288Kamakura period, around Shōō era (1288–1293)  Tokyo Tokyo Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art SwordsSociety for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords, Tokyo Tachi   Formerly the property of Emperor Go-Mizunoo, curvature:   1317Kamakura period, around Bunpō era (1317–1319)  Tokyo Tokyo Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art SwordsSociety for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords, Tokyo Tachi   Sword by the founder of the Tegai branch 1288Kamakura period, around Shōō era (1288–1293)  Tokyo Tokyo Seikado BunkoSeikadō Bunko, Tokyo Ōdachi  Curvature:   1366Nanboku-chō period, 1366  Ehime Imabari Oyamazumi ShrineŌyamazumi Shrine, Imabari, Ehime Tantō or # ,    1317Kamakura period, around Bunpō era (1317–1319)  Osaka Osaka PrivatePrivate (Matsumoto Ko), Osaka====Yamashiro Province====The Yamashiro tradition was centered around the capital Kyoto in Yamashiro Province where swords were in high demand. Sanjō Munechika (c. 987) was a forerunner of this tradition, and the earliest identified smith working in Kyoto. Various branches of the Yamashiro tradition are distinguished: Sanjō, Awataguchi, Rai, Ayanokoji, Nobukuni, Hasebe and Heian-jo.Yamashiro tradition sugata is characterized by torii-zori, smaller mihaba, slightly bigger kasane, funbari, and small kissaki. The jihada is dense small-grained itame-hada and the hamon is suguha in nie, or small-grain nie.=====Sanjō, Ayanokoji and Hasebe schools=====The Sanjō branch, named after a street in Kyoto and founded by Sanjō Munechika around 1000, is the oldest school in Yamashiro Province. In the early Kamakura period it was the most advanced school of swordsmanship in Japan. Sanjō Munechika's pieces, together with those of Yasutsuna from Hōki Province, consist of some of the oldest curved Japanese swords and mark the start of the old sword (''kotō'') period. Sanjō school's sugata is characterized by a much narrower upper area compared to the bottom, small kissaki, torii-zori and deep koshi-zori. The jihada uses good quality steel with abundant ji-nie and chikei, small mokume-hada mixed with wavy, large hada. The hamon is bright and covered with thick nioi. It is based on suguha mixed with small chōji midare. Hataraki appear along the temper line.The Ayanokoji school is named for a street in Kyoto where the smith Sadatoshi lived, and may possibly be a branch of the Sanjō school. Ayanokoji tachi are slender with small kissaki. The jihada uses soft jigane, small mokume-hada mixed with masame-hada, abundant ji-nie, yubashiri and chikei. The temper line is small chōji midare, nie with much activity.A later branch of the Yamashiro tradition, was the Hasebe school which was active in the Nanboku-chō period and early Muromachi period. It was founded by Hasebe Kunishige who originally came from Yamato Province. He travelled to Sagami Province where he became one of the ten great students of Masamune (''Masamune juttetsu''), and eventually went to Kyoto to found the Hasebe school. The sugata is characterized by a wide mihaba, thin kasane and shallow sori. The jihada is fine itame-hada mixed with masame-hada, chikei and abundant ji-nie. The hamon is of irregular width, narrow and small-patterned at the bottom and wide and large-patterned at the top of the blade. There are many tobiyaki and hitatsura as well as rough nie. Type/Name Signature Swordsmith Remarks Date Length Present location Tachi or #   One of the ; the name, "crescent moon" refers to the shape of the tempering pattern; owned by Kōdai-in, wife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi who bequeathed it to Tokugawa Hidetada, then handed down in the Tokugawa clan; curvature:  1000Heian period, 10th–11th century Tokyo Tokyo Tokyo National MuseumTokyo National Museum, Tokyo Tachi   Sword by the founder of the Ayanokoji school; handed down in the Abe clan from 1663 when Tokugawa Ietsuna gave it to Abe Masakuni, lord of Iwatsuki castle; strong curvature  1200Kamakura period, 13th century  Tokyo Tokyo Tokyo National MuseumTokyo National Museum, Tokyo Katana or # Unsigned * Owned by the Kuroda family, with an inscription in gold inlay by : , curvature  1336Nanboku-chō period, 14th century Fukuoka Fukuoka Fukuoka City MuseumFukuoka City Museum, Fukuoka, Fukuoka=====Awataguchi school=====Tsurugi by Tōshirō YoshimitsuLocated in the Awataguchi district of Kyoto, the Awataguchi school was active in the early and mid-Kamakura period. Leading members of the school were Kunitomo, whose tachi are similar to those of Sanjō Munechika, and Tōshirō Yoshimitsu, one of the most celebrated of all Japanese smiths. Yoshimitsu was the last of the significant smiths in the Awataguchi school, and the school was eventually replaced by the Rai school as the foremost school in Yamashiro Province.Characteristic for this school are engraved gomabashi near the back ridge (''mune''), a long and slender tang (''nakago''), and the use of two-character signatures. Awataguchi sugata is in the early Kamakura period similar to that of the Sanjō school; later in the mid-Kamakura period it became ikubi kissaki with a wide mihaba. Tantō were normal sized with slight uchi-zori. The jihada is nashiji-hada of finest quality, dense small grain mokume-hada mixed with chikei, yubashiri appear, thick nie all over the ji The hamon is narrow, suguha mixed with small chōji midare. Type/Name Signature Swordsmith Remarks Date Length Present location Tantō or #   Name ("atsushi" meaning "thick") refers to the unusual thickness of the blade; handed down through ''shōguns'' of the Ashikaga clan and in the possession of among others Toyotomi Hidetsugu, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Mōri Terumoto; presented to Tokugawa Ieyasu by the Mōri family 1200Kamakura period, 13th century  Tokyo Tokyo Tokyo National MuseumTokyo National Museum, Tokyo Tantō or #   Formerly in the possession of the Gotō house 1200Kamakura period, 13th century  Aichi Nagoya Tokugawa Art MuseumTokugawa Art Museum, Nagoya, Aichi Tantō   Formerly in the possession of the Tachibanaya family 1185Kamakura period  Fukuoka Yanagawa Ohana MuseumOhana Museum, Yanagawa, Fukuoka Ken   The blade was part of the dowry of the adopted daughter (Seitaiin) of Tokugawa Iemitsu on her wedding with Maeda Mitsutaka; one year after Seitaiin's death, her son, Maeda Tsunanori offered the blade to the Shirayama Hime Shrine praying for her happiness in the next life; width:  1200Kamakura period  Ishikawa Hakusan Shirayama Hime Shrinecustodian: Ishikawa Prefecture Art Museum, Kanazawa (owner: Shirayama Hime Shrine, Hakusan), Ishikawa Tachi   Curvature: , breadth at butt:  1200Kamakura period, first half of 13th century  Tokyo Tokyo Agency for Cultural AffairsAgency for Cultural Affairs, Tokyo Tachi   Curvature  1200Kamakura period, 13th century  Kyoto Kyoto Kyoto National MuseumKyoto National Museum, Kyoto=====Rai school=====The Rai school, active from the mid-Kamakura period through the Nanboku-chō period, succeeded the Awataguchi school as the foremost school in Yamashiro Province. It was founded in the 13th century either by Kuniyuki or his father Kuniyoshi from the Awataguchi school. The name, "Rai" refers to the fact that smiths of this school preceded their signatures with the character "来" ("rai"). Rai school works show some characteristics of the later Sōshū tradition, especially in the work of Kunitsugu.Rai school sugata resembles that of the late Heian/early Kamakura period being both gentle and graceful, but grander and with a more vigorous workmanship. Starting with Kunimitsu, the kissaki becomes larger. The jihada is small-grain mokume-hada, dense with ji-nie, yubashiri and chikei. The quality of the jigane is slightly inferior to that of the Awataguchi school. The hamon shows medium suguha with chōji midare. Type/Name Signature Swordsmith Remarks Date Length Present location Tachi   Blade by the founder of the Rai school; handed down in the Matsudaira clan lords over the Akashi Domain in Harima Province; curvature  1250mid-Kamakura period  Tokyo Tokyo Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art SwordsSociety for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords, Tokyo Tachi    1280Kamakura period  Tokyo Tokyo PrivatePrivate, Tokyo Tantō   Uchi-zori 1316Kamakura period, 1316  Aichi Nagoya Atsuta ShrineAtsuta Shrine, Nagoya, Aichi Tantō    1280Kamakura period  Hyogo Nishinomiya Kurokawa Institute of Ancient Cultures, Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Kodachi   Curvature:  1280Kamakura period  Tochigi Nikko Futarasan ShrineFutarasan Shrine, Nikkō, Tochigi Tachi   Handed down in the Matsudaira clan, used by Matsudaira Tadaaki in the Siege of Osaka; later owned by the Iwasaki family, founders of Mitsubishi, then by Yamagata Aritomo and by Emperor Meiji 1300Kamakura period, 14th century  Fukuoka Dazaifu Kyushu National MuseumKyushu National Museum, Dazaifu, Fukuoka Tachi   Presented to the crown prince, the later Emperor Taishō, by Tokugawa Iesato; particularly strong curvature  1327Kamakura period, 1327  Tokyo Tokyo Tokyo National MuseumTokyo National Museum, Tokyo Tachi    1292Kamakura period, 1292  Aichi Nagoya Tokugawa Art MuseumTokugawa Art Museum, Nagoya, Aichi Tantō or #   Oda Nagamasu, also known as Urakusai (有楽斎) received this sword from Toyotomi Hideyori; later handed down in the Maeda clan 1300Kamakura period  Shizuoka ? ?? PrivatePrivate, Shizuoka Tantō  *  1300Kamakura period, 14th century  Tokyo Tokyo PrivatePrivate, Tokyo====Sōshū or Sagami Province====Katana by Masamune with an inscription  in gold inlayThe Sōshū (or Sagami) tradition owes its origin to the patronage of the Kamakura shogunate set up by Minamoto no Yoritomo in 1185 in Kamakura, Sagami Province. Though the conditions for swordsmithing were not favourable, the intense military atmosphere and high demand for swords helped to establish the school. The tradition is believed to have originated in 1249, when Awataguchi Kunitsuna from the Yamashiro tradition forged a tachi for Hōjō Tokiyori. Other recognized founders were Ichimonji Sukezane and Saburo Kunimune, both from the Bizen tradition. The Sōshū tradition's popularity increased after the Mongol invasions (1274, 1281). It is characterized by tantō daggers that were produced in large quantities; but also tachi and katana were forged. With the exception of wider and shorter so called "kitchen knives" (''hōchō tantō''), daggers were  long, uncurved or with a slight curve toward the cutting edge (''uchi-zori'').Tantō known as Hyūga MasamuneDuring the early Sōshū tradition, from the late Kamakura period to the beginning of the Nanboku-chō period, the smiths' goal was to produce swords that exhibited splendor and toughness, incorporating some of the best features of the Bizen and Yamashiro traditions. The Midare Shintōgo by Awataguchi Kunitsuna's son, Shintōgo Kunimitsu, is considered to be the first true Sōshū tradition blade. Shintōgo Kunimitsu was the teacher of Yukimitsu and of Masamune who is widely recognized as Japan's greatest swordsmith. Together with Sadamune, whose work looks modest compared to Masamune's, these are the most representative smiths of the early Sōshū tradition. Sōshū tradition sugata is characterized by a shallow torii-zori, bigger mihaba, smaller kasane, medium or large kissaki. The jihada is mostly itame-hada with ji-nie and chikei and the hamon is gunome, midareba and hitatsura. Nie, sunagashi and kinsuji are often visible in the hamon. Type/Name Signature Swordsmith Remarks Date Size Present location Tantō   Formerly owned by the Maeda clan; blade exhibits intermediary style between straight tempering pattern used by Yukimitsu's teacher, Gokunimitsu, and curved-wave tempering pattern of his student, Masamune 1300Kamakura period, 14th century  Tokyo Tokyo Tokyo National MuseumTokyo National Museum, TokyoTantō  Shintōgo Kunimitsu  1293Kamakura period, around Einin to Shōwa eras (1293–1317)  Tokyo Tokyo PrivatePrivate, TokyoTantō   Shintōgo Kunimitsu  1293Kamakura period, around Einin to Shōwa eras (1293–1317)  Osaka Osaka PrivatePrivate, Osaka Tantō or #  Shintōgo Kunimitsu Formerly owned by Gamō Ujisato. The name, "Aizu", refers to the Aizu area which he controlled. 1293Kamakura period, late 13th century  Hiroshima ? ?? PrivatePrivate, Hiroshima Katana Unsigned Masamune With an inscription in gold inlay from 1609:  and  (authenticated by Honami Kōtoku as Masamune sword); formerly in possession of the Tsugaru clan; curvature  1300Kamakura period, 14th century, before Gentoku era (1329)  Tokyo Tokyo Tokyo National MuseumTokyo National Museum, Tokyo Katana or # Unsigned Masamune  Formerly in the possession of the Kanze school, a Noh school 1288Kamakura period, around Shōō to Karyaku eras (1288–1328)  Tokyo Tokyo Tokyo National MuseumTokyo National Museum, Tokyo Katana or # Unsigned Masamune  1288Kamakura period, around Shōō to Karyaku eras (1288–1328)  Tokyo Tokyo Maeda IkutokukaiMaeda Ikutokukai, TokyoKatana or # Unsigned Masamune With a gold inlay inscription: ; formerly held by Honda Tadakatsu whose official rank was Nakatsukasa Daisuke; later handed down in the Tokugawa clan; curvature:  1300Kamakura period, 14th century, before Gentoku era (1329)  Tokyo Tokyo Agency for Cultural AffairsAgency for Cultural Affairs, Tokyo Tantō or # Unsigned Masamune Formerly in the possession of Ishida Mitsunari who gave this sword to the husband of his younger sister; the sword was stolen during the Battle of Sekigahara by Mizuno Katsushige, governor of Hyūga Province 1288Kamakura period, around Shōō to Karyaku eras (1288–1328)  Tokyo Tokyo Mitsui Memorial MuseumMitsui Memorial Museum, Tokyo Tantō or # Unsigned Masamune  1300Kamakura period, 14th century, before Gentoku era (1329)  Okayama Okayama Hayashibara Museum of ArtHayashibara Museum of Art, Okayama, Okayama Tantō or # Unsigned Masamune The name "Kitchen knife" refers to the unusually short and wide shape of the knife. In addition to this item, there are two other national treasure "kitchen knives" by Masamune. 1300Kamakura period, 14th century, before Gentoku era (1329)  Aichi Nagoya Tokugawa Art MuseumTokugawa Art Museum, Nagoya, Aichi Tantō or # Unsigned Sadamune Name derives from the fact that this sword was a favorite of Terasawa Shima no Kami Hirotaka who passed it on to Tokugawa Hidetada and further to Tokugawa Yorinori, lord of the Kishu fief 1335Kamakura period, mid 14th century, around Gentoku to Kenmu eras (1329–1338)  Tokyo Tokyo Agency for Cultural AffairsAgency for Cultural Affairs, Tokyo Tantō or # Unsigned Masamune The name "Kitchen knife" refers to the unusually short and wide shape of the knife. In addition to this item, there are two other national treasure "kitchen knives" by Masamune. 1300Kamakura period, 14th century, before Gentoku era (1329)  Tokyo Tokyo Eisei Bunko MuseumEisei Bunko Museum, Tokyo Tantō or # Unsigned Masamune The name "Kitchen knife" refers to the unusually short and wide shape of the knife. In addition to this item, there are two other national treasure "kitchen knives" by Masamune. 1288Kamakura period, around Shōō to Karyaku eras (1288–1328)  Osaka Osaka Kinshukai, Osaka Tantō or # Unsigned Sadamune Maeda Gen'i, also known as Abbot Tokuzen-in (a temple name) received this dagger from Toyotomi Hideyoshi; later it was handed down in the Tokugawa clan and the Saijō branch of the Matsudaira clan 1329Kamakura period, 14th century, around Gentoku to Kenmu eras (1329–1338)  Tokyo Tokyo Mitsui Memorial MuseumMitsui Memorial Museum, Tokyo Tantō or #Unsigned  Sadamune With a red lacquer stamp by a Honami sword appraiser 1329Kamakura period, 14th century, around Gentoku to Kenmu eras (1329–1338)  Hyogo Nishinomiya Kurokawa Institute of Ancient Cultures, Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Katana or # Unsigned Sadamune Name ("tortoise shell") refers to an engraving on the tang: a chrysanthemum within a hexagon, resembling a tortoise shell; curvature:  1329Kamakura period, 14th century, around Gentoku to Kenmu eras (1329–1338)  Tokyo Tokyo Tokyo National MuseumTokyo National Museum, Tokyo Tachi   Sword by the founder of the Kamakura Ichimonji school; curvature  1200Kamakura period, 13th century, around Bun'ei era (1264–1275)  Tokyo Tokyo Tokyo National MuseumTokyo National Museum, Tokyo Tachi   Sword by the founder of the Kamakura Ichimonji school; formerly held by Tokugawa Ieyasu 1200Kamakura period, 13th century, around Bun'ei era (1264–1275)  Tochigi Nikko Nikko ToshoguNikkō Tōshō-gū, Nikkō, Tochigi====Bizen Province====Bizen Province became an early center of iron production and swordmaking because of the proximity to the continent. Conditions for sword production were ideal: good iron sand; charcoal and water were readily available; and the San'yōdō road ran right through the province. Bizen has been the only province to produce swords continuously from the Heian to the Edo period. In kotō times, a large number of skilled swordsmiths lived along the lower reaches of the Yoshii river around Osafune making it the largest center of sword production in Japan. Bizen province not only dominated in the numbers of blades produced but also in quality; and Bizen swords have long been celebrated for excellent swordsmanship. The peak of the Bizen tradition, marked by a gorgeous and luxurious style, was reached in the mid-Kamakura period. Later, in the 13th century, the Ichimonji and Osafune schools, the mainstream schools of Bizen Province, maintained the Heian style of the Ko-Bizen, the oldest school in Bizen province. After the 13th century, swords became wider and the point (''kissaki'') longer, most likely as a response to the thick armour of the invading Mongols. Mass production due to heavy demand for swords from the early 15th to the 16th century led to a lower quality of blades. The Bizen tradition is associated with a deep koshi-zori, a standard mihaba, bigger kasane with medium kissaki. The jihada is itame-hada often accompanied by utsuri. The hamon is chōji midare in nioi deki.=====Ko-Bizen=====Tachi signed "Made by Tomonari from Bizen Province"The oldest branch of swordmaking in Bizen Province is the Ko-Bizen (old Bizen) school. It was founded by Tomonari who lived around the early 12th century. The school flourished in the late Heian period (10th–12th century) and continued into the Kamakura period. Three great swordsmiths—Kanehira, Masatsune and Tomonari—are associated with the school. Ko-Bizen tachi are generally thin, have a strong koshi-zori and small kissaki. The grain is itame-hada or small itame-hada and the hamon is small midare made of nie in combination with chōji and gunome. Type/Name Signature Swordsmith Remarks Date Length Present location Tachi   Curvature:  1000Heian period, 11th century  Tokyo Tokyo Tokyo National MuseumTokyo National Museum, Tokyo Tachi   Handed down through Taira no Munemori; curvature:  1100Heian period, 12th century  Hiroshima Hatsukaichi Itsukushima ShrineItsukushima Shrine, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Tachi or #    Name ("Ōkanehira") refers to the extraordinary size of the blade; unusual signature for Kanehira who usually used a two character signature; owned by Ikeda Terumasa and passed down in the Ikeda clan; curvature  1100Heian period, 12th century  Tokyo Tokyo Tokyo National MuseumTokyo National Museum, Tokyo Tachi    Tokugawa Munechika received the sword in 1745 from Tokugawa Yoshimune 1156Heian period, mid-12th century, around Hōgen era (1156–1159)  Tokyo Tokyo Tokyo Agency for Cultural AffairsAgency for Cultural Affairs, Tokyo Tachi    1156Heian period, mid-12th century, around Hōgen era (1156–1159)  Tokyo Tokyo Tokyo Agency for Cultural AffairsAgency for Cultural Affairs, Tokyo Tachi   The sword passed from Tokugawa Yoshimune on his retirement in 1745 to Tokugawa Munekatsu and later on to Tokugawa Munechika; curvature: , breadth at butt:  1156Heian period, mid-12th century, around Hōgen era (1156–1159)  Aichi Nagoya Tokugawa Art MuseumTokugawa Art Museum, Nagoya, Aichi Tachi    1156Heian period, mid-12th century, around Hōgen era (1156–1159)  Tokyo Tokyo PrivatePrivate (Aoyama Kikuchi), Tokyo Tachi    1156Heian period, mid-12th century, around Hōgen era (1156–1159)  Osaka Osaka PrivatePrivate, Osaka Tachi   Curvature:  1077Heian period, late 11th century, around Jōryaku are (1077–1081)   Shizuoka Shizuoka Kunozan ToshoguKunōzan Tōshō-gū, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Tachi    Curvature:  1100Heian period, 12th century  Yamagata Tsuruoka Chido MuseumChidō Museum, Tsuruoka, Yamagata=====Ichimonji school=====The Ichimonji school was founded by Norimune in the late Heian period. Together with the Osafune it was one of the main branches of the Bizen tradition and continued through the Kamakura period with a peak of prosperity before the mid-Kamakura period. The name  refers to the signature (''mei'') on swords of this school. Many smiths signed blades with only a horizontal line (read as "ichi", translated as "one"); however signatures exist that contain only the smith's name, or "ichi" plus the smith's name, and unsigned blades exist as well. From the early Ichimonji school (Ko-Ichimonji), the "ichi" signature looks like a diagonal line and might have been a mark instead of a character. From the mid-Kamakura period however, "ichi" is definitely the character and not a mark. Some Ichimonji smiths lived in Fukuoka village, Osafune and others in Yoshioka village. They are known as Fukuoka-Ichimonji and Yoshioka-Ichimonji respectively, and were typically active in the early to mid-Kamakura period (Fukuoka-Ichimonji) and the late-Kamakura period (Yoshioka-Ichimonji) respectively.The workmanship of early Ichimonji smiths such as Norimune resembles that of the Ko-Bizen school: tachi have a narrow mihaba, deep koshi-zori, funbari and an elegant sugata with small kissaki. The hamon is small midare or small midare with small chōji midare in small nie.Around the middle Kamakura period tachi have a wide mihaba and grand sugata with medium kissaki such as ikubi kissaki. The hamon is large chōji midare or juka chōji in nioi deki and irregular width. Particularly the hamon of tachi with just the "ichi" signature is wide chōji. The hamon of this period's Ichimonji school is one of the most gorgeous amongst kotō smiths and comparable to Masamune and his students' works. The most characteristic works for mid-Kamakura period Ichimonji school were produced by Yoshifusa, Sukezane and Norifusa. Yoshifusa, who left the largest number of blades, and Norifusa might each in fact have been several smiths using the same name. Type/Name Signature Swordsmith Remarks Date Length Present location Tachi    1185Kamakura period  Shizuoka Numazu Makiri Corporation, Numazu, Shizuoka Tachi or # Unsigned  Part of the Kuroda family collection, handed down in the Hōjō clan; curvature:  1200Kamakura period, 13th century  Fukuoka Fukuoka Fukuoka City MuseumFukuoka City Museum, Fukuoka, Fukuoka Tachi or /Sanshōmō Unsigned  Temper pattern resembles the feather of a pheasant:  1185Kamakura period  Okayama ? ?? PrivatePrivate, Okayama Tachi  ^ Curvature:   1185early Kamakura period, around Genryaku to Jōgen eras (1184–1211)  Tokyo Tokyo Hie ShrineHie Shrine, Tokyo Tachi   Sword of Oda Nobunaga whose son, Oda Nobukatsu, used it to slay Okada Sukesaburō in the Battle of Komaki and NagakuteAlso known as , curvature:   1200Kamakura period, 13th century  Tokyo Tokyo Tokyo National MuseumTokyo National Museum, Tokyo Tachi   Formerly in the possession of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, later bestowed on Takekoshi Masanobu, a retainer of Tokugawa Ieyasu; subsequently owned by Takekoshi's descendants 1200Kamakura period, 13th century  Tokyo Tokyo Tokyo National MuseumTokyo National Museum, Tokyo Tachi    1200Kamakura period, 13th century  Tokyo Tokyo PrivatePrivate, Tokyo Tachi   In the possession of many people such as the Kishū-Tokugawa family; handed down in the Taira clan; curvature:  1200Kamakura period, 13th century  Okayama Okayama Hayashibara Museum of ArtHayashibara Museum of Art, Okayama, Okayama Tachi   Handed down in the Tokugawa clan 1200Kamakura period, 13th century  Hiroshima ? ?? PrivatePrivate, Hiroshima Tachi    1185Kamakura period, around Ninji to Kenchō eras (1240–1256)  Tokyo Tokyo PrivatePrivate, Tokyo Tachi   Handed down in the Tottori branch of the Ikeda clan 1185Kamakura period  Osaka Osaka PrivatePrivate, Osaka Tachi   Handed down in the Tokugawa clan; curvature:  1200Kamakura period, 13th century  Hiroshima ? ?? PrivatePrivate, Hiroshima Katana Unsigned   1185Kamakura period  Tokyo Tokyo PrivatePrivate, Tokyo Tachi ,   Curvature:  1322-03Kamakura period, March 1322  Osaka Osaka ? ?? PrivatePrivate, Osaka Naginata   Handed down in the Kaga branch of the Maeda clan 1320Kamakura period, 1320  Osaka Osaka ? ?? PrivatePrivate, Osaka=====Osafune school=====Founded by Mitsutada in the mid-Kamakura period in Osafune, the Osafune school continued through to the end of the Muromachi period. It was for a long time the most prosperous of the Bizen schools and a great number of master swordsmiths belonged to it. Nagamitsu (also called Junkei Nagamitsu), the son of Mitsutada, was the second generation, and Kagemitsu the third generation.Osafune sugata is characteristic for the period and similar to that of the Ichimonji school: a wide mihaba and ikubi kissaki. After the 13th century the curve moved from koshi-zori to torii-zori. Other stylistic features depend on the swordsmith. In the hamon, Mitsutada adopted the Ichimonji style of large chōji midare mixed with juka chōji and a unique kawazuko chōji; Nagamitsu produced also chōji midare hower with a different pattern and mixed with considerable gunome midare. Starting with Kagemitsu the hamon became suguha and gunome midare. Kagemitsu is also credited with the invention of kataochi gunome. Mitsutada's bōshi is midare komi with short kaeri or yakitsume. Nagamitsu and Kagemitsu use a sansaku bōshi. Kagemitsu is also known as one of the finest engravers particularly through his masterpiece Koryū Kagemitsu. Type/Name Signature Swordsmith Remarks Date Length Present location Tachi   Sword of Kusunoki Masashige, also called  after a relief on the face of the blade, curvature:   1322-05Kamakura period, May 1322  Tokyo Tokyo Tokyo National MuseumTokyo National Museum, Tokyo Katana Unsigned   Also called  after the former owner, Ikoma Chikamasa; with a kaō and a gold inlay inscription: , made by the connoisseur  1238Kamakura period, around Ryakunin to Kangen era (1238–1247)  Tokyo Tokyo Eisei Bunko MuseumEisei Bunko Museum, Tokyo Tachi   Tokugawa Tsunanari received this sword from Tokugawa Tsunayoshi in 1698; curvature:  1238Kamakura period, around Ryakunin to Kangen era (1238–1247)  Aichi Nagoya Tokugawa Art MuseumTokugawa Art Museum, Nagoya, Aichi Katana   Inscription in gold inlay 1238Kamakura period, around Ryakunin to Kangen era (1238–1247)  Osaka Osaka PrivatePrivate, Osaka Tachi or #   The name ("Daihannya") refers to the Daihannya sutra. The value of the sword during the Muromachi period, 600 ''kan'', was associated with the sutra's 600 volumes; said to have belonged to the Ashikaga clan, later in the possession of Oda Nobunaga who gave it to Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Battle of Anegawa, who then gave it to Okudaira Nobumasa at the Battle of Nagashino; curvature:  1249Kamakura period, 13th century, around Kenchō to Shōō eras (1249–1293)   Tokyo Tokyo Tokyo National MuseumTokyo National Museum, Tokyo Tachi or #   Stolen by Akechi Mitsuhide from Azuchi Castle; later in the possession of Maeda Toshinaga, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi and in 1709 it passed from Tokugawa Ienobu to Tokugawa Yoshimichi 1249Kamakura period, 13th century, around Kenchō to Shōō eras (1249–1293)   Aichi Nagoya Tokugawa Art MuseumTokugawa Art Museum, Nagoya, Aichi Tachi    1249Kamakura period, 13th century, around Kenchō to Shōō eras (1249–1293)  Tokyo Tokyo Tokyo National MuseumTokyo National Museum, Tokyo Tachi  Curvature:   1249Kamakura period, 13th century, around Kenchō to Shōō eras (1249–1293)  Okayama Okayama Hayashibara Museum of ArtHayashibara Museum of Art, Okayama, OkayamaTachi   Curvature: , also called: "Sword of the three temples" 1249Kamakura period, 13th century, around Kenchō to Shōō eras (1249–1293)  Shizuoka ? ?? PrivatePrivate, Shizuoka Tachi    1329-07Kamakura period, July, 1329  Saitama Saitama Saitama Prefectural Museum of History and FolkloreSaitama Prefectural Museum of History and Folklore, Saitama, Saitama Naginata   Length of tang:  1300Kamakura period, 14th century  Shizuoka Mishima Sano Art MuseumSano Art Museum, Mishima, Shizuoka Tantō   Formerly in the possession of Uesugi Kenshin; with an engraving:  on the blade; slight curvature 1323Kamakura period, 1323  Saitama Saitama Saitama Prefectural Museum of History and FolkloreSaitama Prefectural Museum of History and Folklore, Saitama, Saitama Tachi    Presented to  by Oda Nobunaga for good service in the Battle of Nagashino; curvature:  1333Kamakura period, 14th century towards 1333  Yamagata Tsuruoka Chido MuseumChidō Museum, Tsuruoka, Yamagata Tachi   Curvature:  1329Kamakura period, 1329  Osaka Osaka PrivatePrivate, Osaka Tantō   Slight curvature towards the cutting edge (''uchi-zori'') 1334Nanboku-chō period, 1334  Tokyo Tokyo PrivatePrivate, Tokyo Ōdachi   Handed down in the Bizen Osafune Kanemitsu branch; curvature:  1366-02Nanboku-chō period, February, 1366  Tochigi Nikko Futarasan ShrineFutarasan Shrine, Nikkō, Tochigi=====Saburo Kunimune school=====Like the Osafune school, the Saburo Kunimune school was located in Osafune, however the swordsmiths are from a different lineage than those of Mitsutada and his school. The name, "saburo", refers to the fact that Kunimune, the founder of the school, was the third son of Kunizane. Kunimune later moved to Sagami Province to found the Sōshū tradition together with Ichimonji Sukezane. There were two generations of Kunimune, and their work is very difficult to distinguish. This school's workmanship is similar to that of other smiths of the time but with a slightly coarse jihada and with hajimi. Type Signature Swordsmith Remarks Date Length Present location Tachi  ^ Curvature: , breadth at butt: , breadth near kissaki:  1200Kamakura period, 13th century  Tochigi Nikko Nikko ToshoguNikkō Tōshō-gū, Nikkō, Tochigi Tachi  ^ Confiscated by the GHQ in the aftermath of World War II and subsequently lost, but re-discovered by chance in 1963 and returned to Terukuni shrine a year later by an American Dr. Walter Compton (owner of one of the greatest Japanese sword collection outside Japan, he returned Kunimune by himself and without seeking any compensation) ; curvature: , breadth at butt: , breadth near kissaki:  1200Kamakura period, 13th century  Kagoshima Kagoshima Terukuni ShrineTerukuni Shrine, Kagoshima, Kagoshima Tachi  ^  1200Kamakura period, 13th century  Tokyo Tokyo PrivatePrivate,, Tokyo Tachi  ^ Since 1739 handed down in the Owari branch; curvature: , breadth at butt: , breadth near kissaki:  1200Kamakura period, 13th century  Aichi Nagoya Tokugawa Art MuseumTokugawa Art Museum, Nagoya, Aichi====Other countries=========Etchū Province=====Inaba Gō by Gō YoshihiroTwo of Masamune's ten excellent students (''juttetsu''), Norishige and Gō Yoshihiro, lived in Etchū Province at the end of the Kamakura period. While none of Gō Yoshihiro's works is signed, there are extant signed tantō and tachi by Norishige. One tantō by Norishige and two katana by Gō Yoshihiro have been designated as national treasures. Generally Norishige's sugata is characteristic of the time: tantō are with not-rounded fukura and uchi-zori, thick kasane and steep slopes of iori-mune. The jihada is matsukawa-hada with thick ji-nie, many chikei along the o-hada. The jigane is not equal to that of Masamune or Gō Yoshihiro. Norishige hamon is relatively wide and made up of bright and larger nie based in notare mixed with suguha chōji midare or with gunome midare. Gō Yoshihiro produced various sugata with either small kissaki and narrow mihaba or with wider mihaba and larger kissaki. His jihada is identical to that of the Awataguchi school in Yamashiro Province: soft jigane, small mokume-hada mixed with wavy ō-hada. Thick ji-nie becomes yubashiri with chikei. The hamon has an ichimai or ichimonji bōshi with ashi and abundant nie. The kaeri is short or yakitsume. Type/Name Signature Swordsmith Remarks Date Length Present location Tantō  Norishige* Also called  1308late Kamakura period, around Enkyō to Karyaku era (1308–1329)  Tokyo Tokyo Eisei Bunko MuseumEisei Bunko Museum, TokyoKatana or # Unsigned * Handed down in the  1336early Nanboku-chō period, 14th century  Tokyo Tokyo Maeda IkutokukaiMaeda Ikutokukai, Tokyo Katana or # Unsigned * With an inscription in gold inlay by : ; handed down in the Inaba clan; curvature:  1336early Nanboku-chō period, 14th century  Tokyo Tokyo PrivatePrivate, Tokyo=====Bitchū Province=====The mainstream school of Bitchū Province was the Aoe school named after a place presently located in Kurashiki. It appeared at the end of the Heian period and thrived in the ensuing Kamakura period. The quality of Aoe swords was swiftly recognized, as 3 of the 12 smiths at Emperor Go-Toba's court were of this school. Five tachi blades of the early aoe school (''ko-aoe'', before the Ryakunin era, 1238/39) have been designated national treasures. The ''ko-aoe'' school consists of two families employing a similar style of swordsmanship that did not deviate with time. The first family was represented by the founder Yasutsugu and, among others, Sadatsugu, Tametsugu, Yasutsugu (the one in this list) and Moritoshi. The second family, named "Senoo", was founded by Noritake who was followed by Masatsune, and others. Ko-Aoe produced slender tachi with small kissaki and deep koshi-zori. A distinctive feature of this school is the jihada which is chirimen-hada and sumigane (dark and plain steel). The hamon is midare based on suguha with ashi and yō. The boshi is midare komi or suguha with a short kaeri, yakitsume. Type/Name Signature Swordsmith Remarks Date Length Present location Tachi  ^ Curvature: , breadth at butt:  1200Kamakura period, first half of 13th century  Tokyo Tokyo PrivatePrivate, Tokyo Tachi    1224Kamakura period, around Gennin era   Osaka Osaka PrivatePrivate, Osaka Tachi Presented to the shrine Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū by Tokugawa Yoshimune in 1736; curvature: , breadth at butt:  1200Kamakura period, first half of 13th century  Kanagawa Kamakura Tsurugaoka HachimanguTsurugaoka Hachiman-gū, Kamakura, Kanagawa Tachi   Also called  after a place in present Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka; curvature , breadth at butt:   1200Kamakura period, first half of 13th century  Yamaguchi Iwakuni Kitsukawahōkōkai, Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Tachi   Presented to Shimazu Yoshihisa by Ashikaga Yoshiaki; curvature , breadth at butt   1200Kamakura period, first half of 13th century  Gifu Takayama CorporationSukyo Mahikari, Takayama, Gifu=====Hōki Province====="Monster cutter" or ''Dōjigiri'' swordThe work of Yasutsuna who lived in Hōki Province predates that of the Ko-Bizen school. Though old sources date his activity to the early 9th century, he was most likely a contemporary of Sanjō Munechika. The first forging of the first curved Japanese swords has been attributed to these two smiths. Yasutsuna founded the school with the same name. Two tachi of the Yasutsuna school have been designated as national treasures: one, the ''Dōjigiri Yasutsuna'' by Yasutsuna has been named the "most celebrated of all Japanese swords"; the other is by his student Yasuie. The ''Dōjigiri'' has torii-zori, distinct funbari, small kissaki; its jihada is mokume-hada with abundant ji-nie. The hamon is small midare consisting of thick nioi and abundant small nie. There are many vivid ashi visible. Yō and kinsuji appear inside the hamon. The work of other school members including Yasuie's is characterized by coarse mokume-hada, black jigane, ji-nie and chikei. The hamon is small midare consisting of nie with kinsuji and sunagashi. Type/Name Signature Swordsmith Remarks Date Length Present location Tachi   With a black-tinged finish and distinctive speckled pattern, typical for swords from Hōki Province, passed down in the Kuroda family, only work definitely by Yasuie; curvature  1159Heian period, 12th century, around Heiji era (1159–1160)  Kyoto Kyoto Kyoto National MuseumKyoto National Museum, Kyoto Tachi or #   One of the , legendary sword with which Minamoto no Yorimitsu killed the boy-faced oni  living near Mount Oe. Presented to Oda Nobunaga by the Ashikaga family subsequently in possession of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu, curvature:  1000mid Heian period, 10th–11th century  Tokyo Tokyo Tokyo National MuseumTokyo National Museum, Tokyo=====Saikaidō (Chikuzen, Chikugo, Bungo Province)=====Through rich cultural exchange with China and Korea facilitated by the proximity to the continent, iron manufacture had been practiced on Kyūshū (Saikaidō) since earliest times. Swordsmiths were active from the Heian period onwards. Initially the Yamato school's influence is evident all over the island. However, distance from other swordmaking centers such as Yamato or Yamashiro caused the workmanship to remain static as smiths maintained old traditions and shunned innovations. Kyūshū blades, therefore, demonstrate a classic workmanship. The old Kyūshū smiths are represented by Bungo Yukihira from Bungo Province, the Miike school active in Chikugo Province and the Naminohira school of Satsuma Province. Two old blades, one by Miike Mitsuyo and the other by Bungo Yukihira, and five later blades from the 14th century, have been designated as national treasures from Kyūshū. They originate from three provinces: Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Bungo. Generally Kyūshū blades are characterized by a sugata that looks old having a wide shinogi. The jihada is mokume-hada that tends to masame-hada or becomes ayasugi-hada. The jigana is soft and there are ji-nie and chikei present. The hamon is small midare made up of nie and based on suguha. The edge of the hamon starts just above the hamachi.The work of Saemon Saburo Yasuyoshi (or Sa, Samonji, Ō-Sa) is much more sophisticated than that of other Kyūshū smiths. As a student of Masamune he was influenced by the Sōshū tradition which is evident in his blades. Sa was active from the end of the Kamakura period to the early Nanboku-chō period and was the founder of the Samonji school in Chikuzen Province to which also Yukihiro belonged. He produced mainly tantō and a few extant tachi. The Samonji school had a great influence during the Nanboku-chō period. Stylistically Ō-Sa's sugata is typical for the end of the Kamakura period with a thick kasane, slightly large kissaki and tantō that are unusually short, about . Type/Name Signature Swordsmith Remarks Date Length Present location Tachi   (Saemon Saburo Yasuyoshi)* Only extant signed tachi of Samonji; also known as  since it was the favourite sword of 　from the Late Hōjō clan, a retainer under Tokugawa Ieyasu; subsequently in the possession of Tokugawa Ieyasu and Tokugawa Yorinobu 1336early Nanboku-chō period, 14th century, around Kenmu and Ryakuō eras (1334–1342)   Hiroshima ? ?? PrivatePrivate (Komatsu Yasuhiro Industries), Hiroshima Tantō   (Saemon Saburo Yasuyoshi)*  1336early Nanboku-chō period, 14th century, around Kenmu and Ryakuō eras (1334–1342)   Tokyo Tokyo PrivatePrivate, Tokyo Tachi or #   (Tenta) One of the , named (Ōtenta=Great Tenta) for its magnificent dignified ''sugata''; curvature  1074Heian period, 11th century, around Jōhō era (1074–1077)  Tokyo Tokyo Maeda IkutokukaiMaeda Ikutokukai, Tokyo Tachi or #   The sword was presented to the poet Karasumaru Mitsuhiro during the Siege of Tanabe, when Hosokawa Fujitaka initiated him in the ''Kokin Denju'' (secrets of Kokin Wakashū); later in the Shōwa period, the sword returned to the possession of the Hosokawa clan; curvature:   1200Kamakura period, around 1200   Tokyo Eisei Bunko MuseumEisei Bunko Museum, Tokyo Ōdachi Unsigned  Favourite sword of  and offered to Ōyamazumi Shrine by his grandchild  in 1470; curvature   1336Nanboku-chō period, 14th century  Ehime Imabari Oyamazumi ShrineŌyamazumi Shrine, Imabari, Ehime Tantō   Width (''mihaba'') , thickness (''kasane'')  1350-08Nanboku-chō period, August 1350  Ibaraki Tsuchiura Tsuchiura City MuseumTsuchiura City Museum, Tsuchiura, Ibaraki Tantō   (Saemon Saburo Yasuyoshi)* One of the favourite blades of Toyotomi Hideyoshi; handed down in the Kishū-Tokugawa family 1336early Nanboku-chō period, 14th century, around Kenmu and Ryakuō eras (1334–1342)  Hiroshima ? ?? PrivatePrivate, Hiroshima===Sword mountings===For protection and preservation, a polished Japanese sword needs a scabbard. A fully mounted scabbard (''koshirae'') may consist of a lacquered body, a taped hilt, a sword guard (''tsuba'') and decorative metal fittings. Though the original purpose was to protect a sword from damage, from early times on Japanese sword mountings became a status symbol and were used to add dignity. Starting in the Heian period, a sharp distinction was made between swords designed for use in battle and those for ceremonial use. Tachi long swords were worn edge down suspended by two cords or chains from the waist belt. The cords were attached to two eyelets on the scabbard.Decorative sword mountings of the ''kazari-tachi'' type carried on the tradition of ancient straight Chinese style tachi and were used by nobles at court ceremonies until the Muromachi period. They contained a very narrow crude unsharpened blade. Two mountain-shaped metal fittings were provided to attach the straps; the scabbard between was covered by a (tube) fitting. The hilt was covered with ray skin and the scabbard typically decorated in maki-e or mother of pearl.Another type of mounting that became fashionable around the mid-Heian period is the ''kenukigata'', or hair-tweezer style, named for the characteristically shaped hilt, which is pierced along the center. In this style, the hilt is fitted with an ornamental border and did not contain any wooden covering. Like kazari-tachi, swords with this mounting were used for ceremonial purposes but also in warfare, as an example held at Ise Grand Shrine shows.From the end of the Heian and into the Kamakura period, ''hyōgo-gusari'' were fashionable mountings for tachi. Along the edge of both the scabbard and the hilt they were decorated with a long ornamental border. They were originally designed for use in battle and worn by high-ranking generals together with armour; but in the Kamakura period they were made due to their gorgeous appearance exclusively for the dedication at temples and Shinto shrines. The corresponding blades from that time are unusable.During the Kamakura and Muromachi period, samurai wore a short sword known as koshigatana in addition to the long tachi. Koshigatana were stuck directly into the belt in the same way as later the katana. They had a mounting without a guard (''tsuba''). The corresponding style is known as ''aikuchi'' ("fitting mouth") as the mouth of the scabbard meets the hilt directly without intervening guard. Sword type Mounting type Date Design and material Remarks Blade length Overall length Present location Tachi ''Kazari-tachi''  Metal fittings decorated with a chrysanthemum pattern in gilt openwork carved in high relief over a silver ground, scabbard decorated with long-tailed birds in mother of pearl inlay on ''nashiji'' lacquer ground. Its slight curvature represents a departure from Chinese prototypes. The mounting was handed down in the . Tachi ''Hyōgo-gusari''  Scabbard decorated with birds, nashiji lacquer, mother of pearl inlay, gold fittings; blade signed  Blade made by Ichimonji; also known as  as it was handed down in the Uesugi clan; later offered to Mishima Taisha and presented to the Imperial Household in the Meiji period    Tachi ''Hyōgo-gusari''  Wood, silver, gold, and copper; blade unsigned Offered to the shrine by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu    Tachi ''Kenukigata''  Scabbard in mother of pearl design on gold ground of sparrows in a bamboo thicket Blade is rusted in and cannot be withdrawn    Katana  Blade unsigned Made by     Tachi ''Kenukigata'' Blade unsigned; ''ikakeji'' and guardian dog design     Tachi ''Hyōgo-gusari'' Blade unsigned; ''ikakeji'' and sleeping beauty lacquer design     Tachi ''Hyōgo-gusari'' Blade unsigned; ''ikakeji'' and sleeping beauty design     Tachi unique  Long and narrow thin sheets of silver-plated copper are wreathed around the scabbard and handle (''hirumaki'') No blade present    Koshigatana ''Aikuchi''  Blade with a signature  (from the Ko-Bizen school); ''nashiji'' lacquer and paulownia design in mother of pearl inlay Blade had been damaged by fire and subsequently retempered; said to have belonged to Ashikaga Takauji    Koshigatana ''Aikuchi''  Blade unsigned; hilt and scabbard covered with gold ''nashiji'', chrysanthemum design in shakudō on hilt Blade attributed to      Tachi ''Hyōgo-gusari''  Blade unsigned; handle covered with white shark skin, ''nanako-ji'' (small circular lumps in the surface of the fitting), gilt openwork of tree peony arabesque carved in high relief, scabbard with line engraving of peonies on gilt bronze ground, guard with a wide ornamental border of Flowering Quince, gilt bronze metal fittings with peony design Considered to be an offering to the shrine by Prince Moriyoshi
See also *Japanese sword*Japanese sword mountings*Glossary of Japanese swords*Nara Research Institute for Cultural Properties*Tokyo Research Institute for Cultural Properties*Independent Administrative Institution National Museum
Notes ;General;Jargon
References ===Bibliography===**********