Wakizashi by Ichimonji Dewa no Kami Yukihiro from Hizen province, Edo period. The blade features an itame hada and a flamboyant choji hamon with abundant sunagashi. The smith learned Dutch forging techniques in Nagasaki and signed with 'Ichimonji' to evoke Bizen Ichimonji.
NihontoWatchBETAmei · Ichimonji · Edo · nagasa 53cm · sori 1.3cm
Shinto · Hizen · around 1639-1683
Fujishiro Jo saku · Tōken Taikan top 23%
8 pieces on the market now
Where Yukihiro stands among comparable artisans: across all of nihontō, and within tradition, era, and period. The tiers (Foremost · Leading · Major · Notable) weigh official designations from the NBTHK and Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs, together with historical honors of lasting repute such as the Sansaku and Meibutsu-chō.
Select a lens to see how it's measured.
Shinto · Hizen
116 pieces on the market now
The Hizen Tadayoshi school began with a single domain commission. In Keicho 1 (1596) the Nabeshima of Hizen ordered Hashimoto Shinzaemon, the smith who would sign Tadayoshi, up to Kyoto with the carver Munenaga; there he entered the gate of Umetada Myoju and studied forging while Munenaga learned the chisel. The two returned to the province in Keicho 3 (1598), and Tadayoshi settled in the castle town below Saga, where under the domain's patronage the line grew into the dominant sword-making house of Kyushu. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Tadayoshi忠吉 | 1596-1632 | 125 |
| Tadayoshi忠吉 | 1662-1681 | 60 |
| Tadahiro忠廣 | 1624-1693 | 170 |
| Masahiro正廣 | 1624-1655 | 32 |
| Tadakuni忠國 | 1648-1652 | 32 |
A Hozon-certified blade judged to show notably superior workmanship and a better state of preservation. The bar is higher: re-tempered blades and most unsigned Muromachi/Edo works are excluded.
The NBTHK (Nihon Bijutsu Tōken Hozon Kyōkai, the Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords) is a public-interest incorporated foundation founded in 1948 and supervised by Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs (Bunkachō); it is based at the Japanese Sword Museum in Tokyo. Its expert panels physically examine each submitted work (shinsa) and issue a certificate (kanteishō) ranking it by artistic and historical merit. NBTHK papers are the most widely recognized standard of authentication for Japanese swords and fittings.
NBTHK official siteNo cooling-off / return system for customers outside Japan. Order canceled if payment not confirmed within 7 days.
Wakizashi by Ichimonji Dewa no Kami Yukihiro from Hizen province, Edo period. The blade features an itame hada and a flamboyant choji hamon with abundant sunagashi. The smith learned Dutch forging techniques in Nagasaki and signed with 'Ichimonji' to evoke Bizen Ichimonji.
NihontoWatchBETAmei · Ichimonji · Edo · nagasa 53cm · sori 1.3cm
Shinto · Hizen · around 1639-1683
Fujishiro Jo saku · Tōken Taikan top 23%
8 pieces on the market now
Where Yukihiro stands among comparable artisans: across all of nihontō, and within tradition, era, and period. The tiers (Foremost · Leading · Major · Notable) weigh official designations from the NBTHK and Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs, together with historical honors of lasting repute such as the Sansaku and Meibutsu-chō.
Select a lens to see how it's measured.
Shinto · Hizen
116 pieces on the market now
The Hizen Tadayoshi school began with a single domain commission. In Keicho 1 (1596) the Nabeshima of Hizen ordered Hashimoto Shinzaemon, the smith who would sign Tadayoshi, up to Kyoto with the carver Munenaga; there he entered the gate of Umetada Myoju and studied forging while Munenaga learned the chisel. The two returned to the province in Keicho 3 (1598), and Tadayoshi settled in the castle town below Saga, where under the domain's patronage the line grew into the dominant sword-making house of Kyushu. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Tadayoshi忠吉 | 1596-1632 | 125 |
| Tadayoshi忠吉 | 1662-1681 | 60 |
| Tadahiro忠廣 | 1624-1693 | 170 |
| Masahiro正廣 | 1624-1655 | 32 |
| Tadakuni忠國 | 1648-1652 | 32 |
A Hozon-certified blade judged to show notably superior workmanship and a better state of preservation. The bar is higher: re-tempered blades and most unsigned Muromachi/Edo works are excluded.
The NBTHK (Nihon Bijutsu Tōken Hozon Kyōkai, the Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords) is a public-interest incorporated foundation founded in 1948 and supervised by Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs (Bunkachō); it is based at the Japanese Sword Museum in Tokyo. Its expert panels physically examine each submitted work (shinsa) and issue a certificate (kanteishō) ranking it by artistic and historical merit. NBTHK papers are the most widely recognized standard of authentication for Japanese swords and fittings.
NBTHK official siteNo cooling-off / return system for customers outside Japan. Order canceled if payment not confirmed within 7 days.
