NihontoWatchThe Jumyô school traces its origins to Yamato province (modern Nara) before relocating to Mino during the Kamakura period, eventually settling in Shimizu in Mino province under the long patronage of the Owari Tokugawa clans. The name Jumyô – written with the characters for *kotobuki* (congratulations) and *inochi* (life) – translates as “happy [long] life,” and blades bearing this signature were prized as auspicious gifts to *daimyô* families. This long, well-proportioned katana dates to the Middle Edo period, circa the Kyôho era, and carries the full signed title of *Hitachi no Kami Fujiwara Jumyô* – Lord of Hitachi province, of the Fujiwara clan, Jumyô. The blade’s character is thoroughly Mino in tradition: a bright *gunome-midare hamon* in rich *ko-nie deki* with rhythmic *togari* peaks, active *ashi*, *kinsuji* formations, and brushed *sunagashi* threading through the temper line. The *jihada* is a tight *itame-hada* with a quality that rewards careful examination under light. The *boshi* is a refined *hakikake* with a small turnback (*ko-maru*), requiring considerable skill from the smith. Despite a slight trim at the *nakago-jiri* – approximately 2cm removed to fit a desired *tsuka* at some point in the sword’s history – the full *mei* survives perfectly intact. The provenance of this katana is exceptional. It carries a *sayagaki* written personally by Dr. Honma Junji (1904-1991), known as Kunzan, the former director of the NBTHK and the foremost sword scholar of the 20th century. Honma gifted this katana to his brother-in-law Mori Kazuo – an inscription on the shirasaya reads *”Mori Kazuo-kei no tame”* (for my brother-in-law Mori Kazuo), with the attribution title *Iehisa Yokei Jumyô* (Fortunate Family Heredity Jumyô). It was very likely a wedding present, given the auspicious nature of the Jumyô signature. The *koshirae* is an Edo-period *uchigatana* mounting lacquered in black with a distinctive leather-like textured *saya* (*kawa-omote-fû kuro-kawari-nuri*), and a cast iron *tsuba* in *sukashi* design depicting the *kikusui* crest – chrysanthemum and water – associated with the legendary samurai Kusunoki Masashige. Both the *tsuba* and the koshirae carry NTHK-NPO Kanteishô certificates of authenticity.
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The Edo period (1615 to 1868)
For two and a half centuries of peace the sword was the warrior’s legal badge rather than his weapon. Each great city developed its own manner, Edo’s tested strength against Ōsaka’s polished brilliance, until demand thinned in the era’s last decades.
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 siteAll swords come with a three-day inspection period beginning from the date of delivery. If not satisfied, the sword may be returned within this period for a full refund of the purchase price. Outside of this period, all sales are final. Swords purchased on a layaway payment plan are not eligible for the three-day inspection period.