Antique Japanese Sword Katana Signed by Gassan Sadayoshi with Tokubetsu Hozon Certificate 【Description】 This blade was signed by Gassan Sadayoshi (月山貞吉) in October of 1827 (the 10th year of the Bunsei era). His real name was Gassan Yahachirō (月山弥八郎), and he was born in Dewa Province (today’s Yamagata Prefecture) in 1781. According to the NBTHK (Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords), the inscription indicates that this blade was made upon request from Orii Masatsugu while Sadayoshi was still living in his birthplace of Dewa. The name “Gassan” refers to the swordsmith school to which he belonged. The Gassan school originated in the late Heian period (12th century), and its name is said to have come from Mt. Gassan, a sacred mountain in Dewa Province, where the school’s early smiths forged their swords. In his youth, Sadayoshi learned the art of sword-forging from his father, Okuyama Yasaburō Sadachika (奥山弥三郎貞近), who was believed to be a descendant of the Ōshū Gassan school, one of the oldest Gassan lineages. Around the age of twenty, Sadayoshi moved to Edo (present-day Tokyo) and became an apprentice to the renowned master Suishinshi Masahide (水心子正秀), one of the most celebrated swordsmiths of the late Edo period and the key figure in the Shinshintō (“New New Sword”) revival movement. After about ten years of training, Sadayoshi mastered advanced techniques and, in 1833 (Tenpō 4), relocated to Osaka. There he founded the Osaka Gassan school, further refining his craft and training many talented apprentices, several of whom went on to become leading swordsmiths of the Bakumatsu era (the end of the Edo period). Although the Gassan school had been one of Japan’s most prestigious traditions since the Kamakura period, its influence had declined by the mid-Edo period. Through Sadayoshi’s tireless efforts and accomplishments, however, the school was revived and regained its former prominence toward the end of the Edo period. Sadayoshi adopted a son from the Tsukamoto family and named him Sadamitsu (Gassan Sadakazu, 月山貞一), who later became one of Japan’s most famous swordsmiths of the Meiji era. Father and son devoted many years to researching the traditional Gassan forging techniques and eventually succeeded in recreating the Ayasugihada pattern—an undulating grain on the steel surface resembling the grain of Japanese cedar, which became the signature texture of the Gassan school. In addition to Ayasugihada, Sadayoshi also forged blades in various other traditional styles. Gassan Sadayoshi passed away in 1870 (the 3rd year of the Meiji era) at the age of 71. His adopted son Gassan Sadakazu inherited the tradition, which was then passed down to Gassan Sadakatsu, and the lineage continues to this day. The current head of the family, Gassan Kazutoshi, and his son Gassan Sadanobu, still carry on the centuries-old Gassan tradition, forging authentic Japanese swords in Nara Prefecture today. Horimono (Engraving) This blade features beautiful carvings (Horimono) on both sides. O n one side, the inscription “Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō” (“Devotion to the Lotus Sutra”) is accompanied by a Rendai (蓮台) design—a lotus pedestal motif often seen as the base of Buddhist statues. The lotus flower symbolizes purity emerging from the mud, a key concept in Buddhist teachings. In sword ornamentation, the upper carving represents the lotus blossom, while the lower portion is the pedestal (Rendai). These motifs are frequently combined with esoteric Buddhist symbols such as Bonji (Sanskrit characters) or Suken (ritual swords), expressing both faith and protection. On the other side, a Bonji character and an image of Fudō Myō-ō (不動明王, Acala) holding a Kurikara-ken (倶利伽羅剣, Kurikara sword) are carved into the blade. Bonji are Sanskrit seed syllables that represent Buddhist deities and serve as sacred symbols for invoking divine protection. Among them, the character “Kān” (カーン) symbolizes Fudō Myō-ō, one of the most revered guardian deities among samurai

Antique Japanese Sword Katana Signed by Gassan Sadayoshi with Tokubetsu Hozon Certificate 【Description】 This blade was signed by Gassan Sadayoshi (月山貞吉) in October of 1827 (the 10th year of the Bunsei era). His real name was Gassan Yahachirō (月山弥八郎), and he was born in Dewa Province (today’s Yamagata Prefecture) in 1781. According to the NBTHK (Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords), the inscription indicates that this blade was made upon request from Orii Masatsugu while Sadayoshi was still living in his birthplace of Dewa. The name “Gassan” refers to the swordsmith school to which he belonged. The Gassan school originated in the late Heian period (12th century), and its name is said to have come from Mt. Gassan, a sacred mountain in Dewa Province, where the school’s early smiths forged their swords. In his youth, Sadayoshi learned the art of sword-forging from his father, Okuyama Yasaburō Sadachika (奥山弥三郎貞近), who was believed to be a descendant of the Ōshū Gassan school, one of the oldest Gassan lineages. Around the age of twenty, Sadayoshi moved to Edo (present-day Tokyo) and became an apprentice to the renowned master Suishinshi Masahide (水心子正秀), one of the most celebrated swordsmiths of the late Edo period and the key figure in the Shinshintō (“New New Sword”) revival movement. After about ten years of training, Sadayoshi mastered advanced techniques and, in 1833 (Tenpō 4), relocated to Osaka. There he founded the Osaka Gassan school, further refining his craft and training many talented apprentices, several of whom went on to become leading swordsmiths of the Bakumatsu era (the end of the Edo period). Although the Gassan school had been one of Japan’s most prestigious traditions since the Kamakura period, its influence had declined by the mid-Edo period. Through Sadayoshi’s tireless efforts and accomplishments, however, the school was revived and regained its former prominence toward the end of the Edo period. Sadayoshi adopted a son from the Tsukamoto family and named him Sadamitsu (Gassan Sadakazu, 月山貞一), who later became one of Japan’s most famous swordsmiths of the Meiji era. Father and son devoted many years to researching the traditional Gassan forging techniques and eventually succeeded in recreating the Ayasugihada pattern—an undulating grain on the steel surface resembling the grain of Japanese cedar, which became the signature texture of the Gassan school. In addition to Ayasugihada, Sadayoshi also forged blades in various other traditional styles. Gassan Sadayoshi passed away in 1870 (the 3rd year of the Meiji era) at the age of 71. His adopted son Gassan Sadakazu inherited the tradition, which was then passed down to Gassan Sadakatsu, and the lineage continues to this day. The current head of the family, Gassan Kazutoshi, and his son Gassan Sadanobu, still carry on the centuries-old Gassan tradition, forging authentic Japanese swords in Nara Prefecture today. Horimono (Engraving) This blade features beautiful carvings (Horimono) on both sides. O n one side, the inscription “Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō” (“Devotion to the Lotus Sutra”) is accompanied by a Rendai (蓮台) design—a lotus pedestal motif often seen as the base of Buddhist statues. The lotus flower symbolizes purity emerging from the mud, a key concept in Buddhist teachings. In sword ornamentation, the upper carving represents the lotus blossom, while the lower portion is the pedestal (Rendai). These motifs are frequently combined with esoteric Buddhist symbols such as Bonji (Sanskrit characters) or Suken (ritual swords), expressing both faith and protection. On the other side, a Bonji character and an image of Fudō Myō-ō (不動明王, Acala) holding a Kurikara-ken (倶利伽羅剣, Kurikara sword) are carved into the blade. Bonji are Sanskrit seed syllables that represent Buddhist deities and serve as sacred symbols for invoking divine protection. Among them, the character “Kān” (カーン) symbolizes Fudō Myō-ō, one of the most revered guardian deities among samurai