The twentieth century nearly killed the craft twice: wartime distortion, then the occupation ban. The NBTHK’s founding in 1948 and licensed forging from 1953 rebuilt the sword as an art, crowned by Living National Treasures and the mukansa rank.
This is a modern ken (straight sword) made by Kozaemon Yukihira, also known as Miyairi Kei, the second son of Living National Treasure Miyairi Akihira. Crafted in 2002, this sword features a beautiful ko-itame hada with thick ji-nie and a suguha-cho hamon with various activities. It comes with a shirasaya and a handwritten box by the smith, indicating it was a special order.
NihontoWatchmei · Heisei (1989-2019) · nagasa 31.5cm
Shinano · around 1989-
6 pieces on the market now
Shōwa to the present: destruction and revival
The twentieth century nearly killed the craft twice: wartime distortion, then the occupation ban. The NBTHK’s founding in 1948 and licensed forging from 1953 rebuilt the sword as an art, crowned by Living National Treasures and the mukansa rank.
We could not find an authenticity certificate on the seller’s listing. Japanese swords and fittings are normally papered by the NBTHK (or the NTHK). Without one, the attribution is the seller’s own assessment and has not been independently verified — treat it with caution and ask the dealer about certification before buying.
For one-of-a-kind items such as swords, sword fittings, and antiques, please contact us about a return within 3 days of the item's arrival and ship it back within 8 days. Refunds are issued the same day the returned item arrives.
