This listing features a tanto by Hosokawa Masayoshi, a prominent smith from the late Edo period, active under the Suishinshi school. Masayoshi, born in Shimotsuke Province in 1786, was a leading student of Suishinshi Masahide, known for his revivalist approach to sword making. This particular piece was made in 1856 when he was 73 years old, at the request of Takahashi Ikutaro, and is accompanied by koshirae.
mei · Suishinshi · Tenpo (1830-1844)


Shinshinto · Musashi · around 1830-1844
Fujishiro Jo saku · Tōken Taikan top 21%
5 pieces on the market now
Where Masayoshi 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.
Shinshinto · Musashi
75 pieces on the market now
At Hamachō in Edo, in the closing decades of the eighteenth century and the opening ones of the nineteenth, Suishinshi Masahide[[c:1]] gathered the school that would turn Japanese swordmaking back toward its medieval models. Born Kawabe Gihachirō at Akayu in Dewa in 1750, signing first as Suzuki Takahide and then Eikoku, he studied under the Shitahara smith Yoshihide of Musashi, took the name Masahide in An'ei 3, and served the Akimoto house of Yamagata before settling in Edo, where he worked for nearly fifty years. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Naotane直胤 | 1801-1837 | 40 |
| Masahide正秀 | 1777-1817 | 28 |
| Sukemasa助政 | 1804-1825 | 8 |
| Jirotaro Naokatsu直勝 | 1805-1858 | 6 |
| Masayoshi正義 | 1791-1860 | 5 |
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.
If, due to our fault, the item differs significantly from its proper condition, the item may be returned. Cooling-off is within one week of the item's arrival.
This listing features a tanto by Hosokawa Masayoshi, a prominent smith from the late Edo period, active under the Suishinshi school. Masayoshi, born in Shimotsuke Province in 1786, was a leading student of Suishinshi Masahide, known for his revivalist approach to sword making. This particular piece was made in 1856 when he was 73 years old, at the request of Takahashi Ikutaro, and is accompanied by koshirae.
mei · Suishinshi · Tenpo (1830-1844)


Shinshinto · Musashi · around 1830-1844
Fujishiro Jo saku · Tōken Taikan top 21%
5 pieces on the market now
Where Masayoshi 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.
Shinshinto · Musashi
75 pieces on the market now
At Hamachō in Edo, in the closing decades of the eighteenth century and the opening ones of the nineteenth, Suishinshi Masahide[[c:1]] gathered the school that would turn Japanese swordmaking back toward its medieval models. Born Kawabe Gihachirō at Akayu in Dewa in 1750, signing first as Suzuki Takahide and then Eikoku, he studied under the Shitahara smith Yoshihide of Musashi, took the name Masahide in An'ei 3, and served the Akimoto house of Yamagata before settling in Edo, where he worked for nearly fifty years. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Naotane直胤 | 1801-1837 | 40 |
| Masahide正秀 | 1777-1817 | 28 |
| Sukemasa助政 | 1804-1825 | 8 |
| Jirotaro Naokatsu直勝 | 1805-1858 | 6 |
| Masayoshi正義 | 1791-1860 | 5 |
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.
If, due to our fault, the item differs significantly from its proper condition, the item may be returned. Cooling-off is within one week of the item's arrival.