Naotane, whose personal name was Shoji Minobei and who used the art name (also written Daikei), was born in An'ei 8 (1779) in in Dewa Province. While still young he traveled to and entered the school of Suishinshi Masahide, the great theorist of the fukko-toron -- the revival of classical forging methods. Later, like his teacher, Naotane entered the service of Lord Akimoto. Together with his fellow student Hosokawa Masayoshi, he came to be regarded as one of the outstanding talents among Masahide's disciples, and his technical skill was appraised as surpassing that of his teacher. In the fifth month of Bunsei 4 (1821) he received the official title Daijo, and in Kaei 1 (1848) he traveled to Kyoto and changed this to no . In his later years he undertook three extended journeys, forging swords at various localities -- traveling through , Izu, , and , among other provinces -- and works from these trips bear location stamps and place-name inscriptions that document his movements. He died on the twenty-seventh day of the fifth month of Ansei 4 (1857) at the age of seventy-nine.
Naotane faithfully put into practice the restorationist forging theories advocated by his master Suishinshi Masahide, and he particularly excelled in the reproduction of styles across multiple traditions. His -tradition works, which constitute his most celebrated manner, are understood to take as models old masterpieces by Kagemitsu and Kanemitsu. In these pieces the is a tightly forged with thickly adhering , fine , and a distinctly standing ; the develops a mixed with , angular forms, , and , often showing a reverse tendency (), with well-entering and a bright, clear . The -- a moist, soft quality in the around the and -- and the manner in which long extend nearly to the cutting edge are recognized as characteristic traits of the period. His -tradition works display a markedly different character: the forging shows mixed with large and a distinctive swirling uzumaki-; the is thick and strong, at times coarse with ; and run vigorously; and the tends toward with a flame-like quality. Between these two poles, a number of his works blend and approaches, while yet others adopt a Yamato-tradition forging, demonstrating the breadth of his working range.
Naotane stands as the foremost practitioner of Masahide's revival philosophy and is regarded as having brought that program to its highest realization. His -style works achieve a that is bright and keen, with both and luminous and clear, and a moderately soft temper line that approaches the impression of -- a quality the consistently praise as brilliantly successful. His -style works, by contrast, display a bold and unrestrained spirit overflowing with , a martial vigor and commanding presence. The on many of his blades -- frequently executed by the carver Honjo Yoshitane, whose collaborative inscriptions are exceedingly rare -- further elevate their value. Works produced during his provincial journeys, such as the "-forged" pieces made in association with the Ota family of hereditary iron-masters, constitute important historical materials linking the smith to networks of patronage and raw-material sourcing. Among his most celebrated pieces is the known as "Tsukikage Naotane," which bears a poem chiseled on the tang and is famed as the outstanding exemplar of his -style works -- a masterpiece that encapsulates the ambition and achievement of the revival at its finest.