Two courts, sixty years of war, and the most dramatic silhouettes in the sword’s history: broad blades, extended points, true ōdachi later cut down into the majestic katana collectors prize. The Sōshū manner was the style of the age.
This is a wakizashi made by Kunishige of the Mizuta school in Bizen province during the Shinto period. The blade has a length of 50.4cm and features a Notare and Gunome-midare hamon. It comes with koshirae, shirasaya, and a Tokubetsu Hozon Token certificate from NBTHK.
NihontoWatchmei · Mizuta · Kenmu (1334-1338) ND · nagasa 50.4cm · sori 1cm
Shinto · Bitchu · around 1624-1644
Fujishiro Jo-jo saku · Tōken Taikan top 26%
9 pieces on the market now
Kunishige worked within the Mizuta school of Bitchu Province, a lineage that flourished from the late Muromachi period into the Edo era. The most celebrated smith of this name is Otsuki Yogoro Kunishige, commonly abbreviated as "Daiyogo," who was the son of Otsuki Saburobei Kunishige and is recognized as the foremost master of the Mizuta school. The NBTHK observes that "the nationwide prosperity of this school during the Edo period was likely due to the presence of such superior craftsmen." Earlier work signed "Ko-Mizuta Kunishige" is dated to the late Muromachi period, with a katana bearing the date Tensho 20 (1592) among the few signed examples by the older lineage.
The Ko-Mizuta works display a kitae of dense ko-itame-hada with ji-nie and utsuri, and a hamon built around gunome-midare as the principal theme, incorporating small midare and ko-choji in what the NBTHK describes as an "overall somewhat busy" manner, with a tightly formed nioiguchi and attached ko-nie as the chief point of appreciation. The later Daiyogo Kunishige, by contrast, excelled particularly in the Soshu-den, producing itame-hada with prominent standing grain, well-adhering ji-nie, and chikei, tempered in bold notare-style o-midare that in the upper half becomes nearly hitatsura, with deep nioi and coarse nie. The boshi on such works enters in irregular midare-komi with hakikake, burning down long to the mune-machi. The tang tip in the Mizuta manner is characteristically ha-agari kurijiri.
Signed examples by both the Ko-Mizuta and Daiyogo lines are described as "comparatively few," lending particular significance to surviving blades. The Ko-Mizuta katana of Tensho 20 is called "not only a typical example, but also one of his representative works," while the Daiyogo Kunishige is praised as "a superior craftsman who exceeded his father's skill." This rarity of signed work is traditionally attributed to signatures being removed or blades being shortened and reworked into superior pieces -- a testament to the enduring regard in which Mizuta workmanship has been held.
Where Kunishige 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 · Bitchu
16 pieces on the market now
In Bitchū Province at the close of the Muromachi period, the Mizuta group emerged at the village of that name, and successive generations took the name Kunishige. The setsumei trace their work across Matsuyama, Toribe, Ihara, Ebara, and Niimi, with their vitality carrying into the shintō era. The smiths the records cover form a recognizable line: Ko-Mizuta Kunishige, whose dated blade reaches Tenshō 20 (1592); the Niimi Saburōzaemon no Jō Kunishige, said by signature references (meikan) to have come from Bingo into the Niimi estate and afterward to have served the Mimura family, lords of Matsuyama Castle; Kunishige of Ihara, who signed "Bitchū no kuni Ihara-jū Kunishige saku"; Kunishige styled Ōtsukiyo Goemon, recorded as forging also at Fukuyama in Bingo and at Kawanami; and Ōtsuki Yogorō Kunishige, abbreviated "Daiyogo," son of Ōtsuki Saburōbei Kunishige, who came after the old Mizuta period and worked from the Kan'ei years. So many smiths bore the name Kunishige that the setsumei call the group's reliance on it overwhelming. The shared vocabulary is consistent across the entries. The jigane is itame, sometimes flowing and sometimes standing out, with ji-nie adhering and chikei entering; utsuri is visible on the older pieces. The hamon of the shintō hand rests on a notare or ko-notare base mixed with gunome, deep in nioi, with nie forming vigorously and at times breaking into coarse ara-nie; sunagashi and kinsuji run through, and muneyaki recurs frequently. On the Daiyogo katana the temper rises until the upper half is nearly hitatsura, an ō-midare in notare style with the bōshi burning down long toward the mune-machi.
The bōshi elsewhere goes midare-komi with hakikake, taking a flame-like (kaen) cast or becoming ichimai-like. The Niimi blade adds yakidaka composition with angular and yahazu-like elements. These are the marks of the hand: a strong nie-laden Sōshū bearing on a serviceable, iori-mune shinogi-zukuri build, the signatures cut long toward the mune. For kantei the records single out the notare foundation worked with gunome and intense nie, the yahazu shapes and ichimai bōshi the setsumei name as "the highlights of the Mizuta manner," and the ha-agari kurijiri tang that rises markedly toward the edge. The shintō smiths are read by their pronounced Sōshū emphasis, the kotō-period Ko-Mizuta by a busier (kosekose) gunome-midare carrying ko-chōji and a tight nioiguchi. The setsumei describe these as cutting, utilitarian blades, and the Ihara daishō carries elaborate carving, including kurikara, "Marishiten," and the Nine Syllables. Named pieces anchor the line: the Niimi Kunishige is published in the Kōzan Oshigata and, by the record on its old scabbard, once served as the camp sword (jin-tō) of Bunjō-in, Tokugawa Ienobu, the sixth shōgun. Of Daiyogo the setsumei say few signed works survive, the loss attributed to mei being removed or blades shortened and reworked, yet they name him the leading master of the group and credit the school's spread through the Edo period to smiths of his ability. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Kunishige國重 | 1554-1573 | 1 |
| Kunishige國重 | 1592-1596 | 1 |
| Kunishige國重 | 1624-1644 | 3 |
| Kunishige國重 | 1673-1681 | 1 |
| Kunisada國定 | 1688-1704 | 0 |
Two courts, sixty years of war, and the most dramatic silhouettes in the sword’s history: broad blades, extended points, true ōdachi later cut down into the majestic katana collectors prize. The Sōshū manner was the style of the age.
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).
This is a wakizashi made by Kunishige of the Mizuta school in Bizen province during the Shinto period. The blade has a length of 50.4cm and features a Notare and Gunome-midare hamon. It comes with koshirae, shirasaya, and a Tokubetsu Hozon Token certificate from NBTHK.
NihontoWatchmei · Mizuta · Kenmu (1334-1338) ND · nagasa 50.4cm · sori 1cm
Shinto · Bitchu · around 1624-1644
Fujishiro Jo-jo saku · Tōken Taikan top 26%
9 pieces on the market now
Kunishige worked within the Mizuta school of Bitchu Province, a lineage that flourished from the late Muromachi period into the Edo era. The most celebrated smith of this name is Otsuki Yogoro Kunishige, commonly abbreviated as "Daiyogo," who was the son of Otsuki Saburobei Kunishige and is recognized as the foremost master of the Mizuta school. The NBTHK observes that "the nationwide prosperity of this school during the Edo period was likely due to the presence of such superior craftsmen." Earlier work signed "Ko-Mizuta Kunishige" is dated to the late Muromachi period, with a katana bearing the date Tensho 20 (1592) among the few signed examples by the older lineage.
The Ko-Mizuta works display a kitae of dense ko-itame-hada with ji-nie and utsuri, and a hamon built around gunome-midare as the principal theme, incorporating small midare and ko-choji in what the NBTHK describes as an "overall somewhat busy" manner, with a tightly formed nioiguchi and attached ko-nie as the chief point of appreciation. The later Daiyogo Kunishige, by contrast, excelled particularly in the Soshu-den, producing itame-hada with prominent standing grain, well-adhering ji-nie, and chikei, tempered in bold notare-style o-midare that in the upper half becomes nearly hitatsura, with deep nioi and coarse nie. The boshi on such works enters in irregular midare-komi with hakikake, burning down long to the mune-machi. The tang tip in the Mizuta manner is characteristically ha-agari kurijiri.
Signed examples by both the Ko-Mizuta and Daiyogo lines are described as "comparatively few," lending particular significance to surviving blades. The Ko-Mizuta katana of Tensho 20 is called "not only a typical example, but also one of his representative works," while the Daiyogo Kunishige is praised as "a superior craftsman who exceeded his father's skill." This rarity of signed work is traditionally attributed to signatures being removed or blades being shortened and reworked into superior pieces -- a testament to the enduring regard in which Mizuta workmanship has been held.
Where Kunishige 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 · Bitchu
16 pieces on the market now
In Bitchū Province at the close of the Muromachi period, the Mizuta group emerged at the village of that name, and successive generations took the name Kunishige. The setsumei trace their work across Matsuyama, Toribe, Ihara, Ebara, and Niimi, with their vitality carrying into the shintō era. The smiths the records cover form a recognizable line: Ko-Mizuta Kunishige, whose dated blade reaches Tenshō 20 (1592); the Niimi Saburōzaemon no Jō Kunishige, said by signature references (meikan) to have come from Bingo into the Niimi estate and afterward to have served the Mimura family, lords of Matsuyama Castle; Kunishige of Ihara, who signed "Bitchū no kuni Ihara-jū Kunishige saku"; Kunishige styled Ōtsukiyo Goemon, recorded as forging also at Fukuyama in Bingo and at Kawanami; and Ōtsuki Yogorō Kunishige, abbreviated "Daiyogo," son of Ōtsuki Saburōbei Kunishige, who came after the old Mizuta period and worked from the Kan'ei years. So many smiths bore the name Kunishige that the setsumei call the group's reliance on it overwhelming. The shared vocabulary is consistent across the entries. The jigane is itame, sometimes flowing and sometimes standing out, with ji-nie adhering and chikei entering; utsuri is visible on the older pieces. The hamon of the shintō hand rests on a notare or ko-notare base mixed with gunome, deep in nioi, with nie forming vigorously and at times breaking into coarse ara-nie; sunagashi and kinsuji run through, and muneyaki recurs frequently. On the Daiyogo katana the temper rises until the upper half is nearly hitatsura, an ō-midare in notare style with the bōshi burning down long toward the mune-machi.
The bōshi elsewhere goes midare-komi with hakikake, taking a flame-like (kaen) cast or becoming ichimai-like. The Niimi blade adds yakidaka composition with angular and yahazu-like elements. These are the marks of the hand: a strong nie-laden Sōshū bearing on a serviceable, iori-mune shinogi-zukuri build, the signatures cut long toward the mune. For kantei the records single out the notare foundation worked with gunome and intense nie, the yahazu shapes and ichimai bōshi the setsumei name as "the highlights of the Mizuta manner," and the ha-agari kurijiri tang that rises markedly toward the edge. The shintō smiths are read by their pronounced Sōshū emphasis, the kotō-period Ko-Mizuta by a busier (kosekose) gunome-midare carrying ko-chōji and a tight nioiguchi. The setsumei describe these as cutting, utilitarian blades, and the Ihara daishō carries elaborate carving, including kurikara, "Marishiten," and the Nine Syllables. Named pieces anchor the line: the Niimi Kunishige is published in the Kōzan Oshigata and, by the record on its old scabbard, once served as the camp sword (jin-tō) of Bunjō-in, Tokugawa Ienobu, the sixth shōgun. Of Daiyogo the setsumei say few signed works survive, the loss attributed to mei being removed or blades shortened and reworked, yet they name him the leading master of the group and credit the school's spread through the Edo period to smiths of his ability. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Kunishige國重 | 1554-1573 | 1 |
| Kunishige國重 | 1592-1596 | 1 |
| Kunishige國重 | 1624-1644 | 3 |
| Kunishige國重 | 1673-1681 | 1 |
| Kunisada國定 | 1688-1704 | 0 |
Two courts, sixty years of war, and the most dramatic silhouettes in the sword’s history: broad blades, extended points, true ōdachi later cut down into the majestic katana collectors prize. The Sōshū manner was the style of the age.
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).
