NihontoWatchStock No:WA-080122Paper(Certificate): [N.B.T.H.K]Tokubetsu Hozon TokenCountry(Kuni)/Period(Jidai): Niigata/Showa era 62 Blade length(Cutting edge): 38.4cmCurve(SORI): 0.6cmWidth at the hamachi(Moto-Haba):3.41cmThickness at the Moto-Kasane: 0.62cmWide at the Kissaki(Saki-Haba): 3.15cmThickness at the Saki-Kasane: 0.55cmHabaki: Two parts, gold foil HabakiSword tang(Nakago):Unaltered,Sujikai file patternRivet Holes(Mekugiana): 1Shape(Taihai): Hirazukuri,IorimuneEngraving: Front side: Tama-oi-ryu , Back side Bonji, Gomabashi, RendaiJigane(Hada): Itame with MokumeTemper patterns(Hamon): GunomeTemper patterns in the point(Bohshi): Midare then Ko-Maru round tipRegistration Card: Niigata 【Additional Information】 This work is by the swordsmith Amada Akitsugu, a holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property (Living National Treasure), which is the highest rank for a modern swordsmith. Amada Akitsugu (Amada Seiichi) was born on August 4, Showa 2, as the eldest son of the swordsmith Amada Sadayoshi in what is now Shibata City, Niigata Prefecture. Having lost his father at the age of nine, Akitsugu moved to Tokyo in Showa 15 at the age of thirteen and entered the Nihonto Tanren Denshusho. After receiving a sword-making license from the Cultural Properties Protection Committee in Showa 29, he won the Excellence Award at the 1st Sakuto Gijutsu Hyokai the following year. Showing his talent from a young age, Akitsugu was honored with the Masamune-sho three times at Meito exhibitions (Showa 52, 60, and Heisei 8), and in Heisei 2, he became the chairman of the All Japan Swordsmith Association. In Heisei 9, he was designated as a holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property (Living National Treasure). In Heisei 11, he received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, 4th Class. For many years, he performed his own iron smelting, researched tamahagane, devised forging methods, and mastered various styles such as Yamashiro-den, Soshu-den, and Bizen-den. He left behind many masterpieces until his passing at the age of eighty-five on June 26, Heisei 25. Furthermore, the engravings on this work are by Yanagimura Senju (Yanagimura Shigenobu) from Okayama Prefecture, a Mukansa engraver who boasts the highest level of skill in modern blade carving. This sword is a hirazukuri wakizashi with a nagasa of slightly over 1 shaku 2 sun 6 bu. The jigane is a refined and tight forging of well-kneaded itame hada, mixed with mokume that appears clearly, accompanied by jinie. The hamon is gunome midare in konie-deki, with a soft nioiguchi that is bright and clear. Within the ha, sunagashi occurs frequently throughout, resulting in a yakiba full of vigor. The bohshi continues as midare and returns to a ko-maru tip. The engravings consist of a tama-oi-ryu on the front, and on the back, a bonji for Fudo Myoo, gomabashi, and a rendai. These exquisite engravings complement the entire blade, elevating this sword into an even more high-class work of art. This is a blade featuring a truly luxurious collaboration between a Living National Treasure swordsmith and a Mukansa engraver, an excellent piece that demonstrates the essence of both Amada Akitsugu and Yanagimura Senju. Gold-clad double habaki, shirasaya, Tokubetsu Hozon Token Kanteisho.
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Machine translation from the shop's Japanese · may contain errors ·
Niigata · around 1926-1989
Tōken Taikan top 87%
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.
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 period or returns; refund only if the purchased sword is proven fake, capped at purchase price (excludes commission sales, accessories, auction items).