YASUNORI, KOTANI THE LAST YASUKUNI SHRINE SWORD SMITH KOTANI YASUNORI THE LAST YASUKUNI SWORD SMITH SUGATA: SHINOGI ZUKURI MEI: YASUNORI DATE: SHOWA JU HACHI NEN SAN GATSU KICHI JITSU (1943) NAGASA: 69.85cm (27.5′′) OVERALL: 91.44cm (36′′) MIHABA: 3.175cm (1.25′′) KASANE: 0.63cm (0.25′′) SORI: 1.905cm (0.75′′) NAKAGO: UBU MEKUGI ANA: ONE YASURIME: KIRI MUNE: IORI HADA: MUJI HAMON: KO-GUNOME WITH ASHI BOSHI: KO-MARU HORIMONO OMOTE: 0 HORIMONO URA: 0 HABAKI: 1 PIECE COPPER SHIRASAYA / KOSHIRAE The last Yasukuni Shrine Smith There is literally so much information on the web about this highly regarded smith that I will not bother writing it all. I will provide some of what is out there. The only thing I would add is that this sword is much nicer in hand than I could capture in the photos. From Rich Steins, Japanese Sword Index: http://www.japaneseswordindex.com/yasunori.htm Kotani Kenzo (Yasunori) from Hiroshima prefecture was born on 7 January 1909. He was taught by his uncle Kajiyama Taketoku (Yasutoku) and along with his cousin Kajiyama Toshimichi (later Yasutoshi) became his uncle’s sakite on July 1933 at the Yasukuni Shrine. On 1 July 1935, Kotani Kenzo was granted the swordsmith mei YASUNORI by Army Minister Hayashi Senjuro. His swords were highly regarded while working at the Shrine and for two years in 1936 and 1937 he won most of the prizes. Considering that sitting on the panel of judges at the annual bimonthly shinsa was one Kozu Haku sensei, a widely respected authority from the cultural ministry, this was no mean feat and speaks well for Yasunori’s ability. He was commissioned to make swords for Higashi no Miya and Field Marshall Terauchi’s gunto. He continued working at the Shrine until 1945 when he moved to Kagawa prefecture to continue production. This was short lived as Japan surrendered on 15 August 1945. After the war (1945) he moved to Shikoku and made swords under the name of Takenori. In 1971 Yasunori started to compete at the NBTHK sponsored contests.

YASUNORI, KOTANI THE LAST YASUKUNI SHRINE SWORD SMITH KOTANI YASUNORI THE LAST YASUKUNI SWORD SMITH SUGATA: SHINOGI ZUKURI MEI: YASUNORI DATE: SHOWA JU HACHI NEN SAN GATSU KICHI JITSU (1943) NAGASA: 69.85cm (27.5′′) OVERALL: 91.44cm (36′′) MIHABA: 3.175cm (1.25′′) KASANE: 0.63cm (0.25′′) SORI: 1.905cm (0.75′′) NAKAGO: UBU MEKUGI ANA: ONE YASURIME: KIRI MUNE: IORI HADA: MUJI HAMON: KO-GUNOME WITH ASHI BOSHI: KO-MARU HORIMONO OMOTE: 0 HORIMONO URA: 0 HABAKI: 1 PIECE COPPER SHIRASAYA / KOSHIRAE The last Yasukuni Shrine Smith There is literally so much information on the web about this highly regarded smith that I will not bother writing it all. I will provide some of what is out there. The only thing I would add is that this sword is much nicer in hand than I could capture in the photos. From Rich Steins, Japanese Sword Index: http://www.japaneseswordindex.com/yasunori.htm Kotani Kenzo (Yasunori) from Hiroshima prefecture was born on 7 January 1909. He was taught by his uncle Kajiyama Taketoku (Yasutoku) and along with his cousin Kajiyama Toshimichi (later Yasutoshi) became his uncle’s sakite on July 1933 at the Yasukuni Shrine. On 1 July 1935, Kotani Kenzo was granted the swordsmith mei YASUNORI by Army Minister Hayashi Senjuro. His swords were highly regarded while working at the Shrine and for two years in 1936 and 1937 he won most of the prizes. Considering that sitting on the panel of judges at the annual bimonthly shinsa was one Kozu Haku sensei, a widely respected authority from the cultural ministry, this was no mean feat and speaks well for Yasunori’s ability. He was commissioned to make swords for Higashi no Miya and Field Marshall Terauchi’s gunto. He continued working at the Shrine until 1945 when he moved to Kagawa prefecture to continue production. This was short lived as Japan surrendered on 15 August 1945. After the war (1945) he moved to Shikoku and made swords under the name of Takenori. In 1971 Yasunori started to compete at the NBTHK sponsored contests.