NihontoWatchThis blade is attributed to Mihara Masakiyo (三原正清) during the Tensho era (1573-1592: the early Azuchi Momoyama period) in Bingo province (Today’s Hiroshima prefecture), according to NTHK appraisal. The maker’s name Masakiyo lasted several generations in this region, and we believe this work is attributed to the late-gen Masakiyo. He belonged to Kai Mihara school, one of the most prestigious schools during the late Muromachi period. Bishu (備州) is a larger area in today’s Okayama & Hiroshima prefecture. Bishu consists of Bizen (備前), Bitchu (備中) and Bingo (備後). Kai Mihara school was located in Bingo province. This school’s headquarter is called Mihara school (三原). According to one theory, Mihara school was founded by Kokubunji Sukekuni in the late Kamakura period. Mihara school is divided into three categories depending on the period. When the blade is older than the Nanbokucho period (the 1300s), it is called Ko-Mihara (Old Mihara). And it is called Mihara for those forged in the early-Mid Muromachi period. Finally, Sue-Mihara (Late Mihara) is used for the late Muromachi period. Masanori is categorized as Sue-Mihara. Kai-Mihara swordsmiths in the late Muromachi period sometimes signed Kai (貝: Shellfish) in their signature because they resided in a village called Kaigahara (貝々原). That is why they are called Kai-Mihara school. In Bingo province, many lands were owned by politically powerful temples of the Yamato region (today’s Nara prefecture) from ancient times. And it is said that the swordsmiths in the Yamato region strongly influenced how swords were forged in the Bingo province. The blades forged by the Kai-Mihara school had distinctive characteristics of Yamato DEN, one of the five Japanese sword traditions (Gokaden). The swordsmiths in the Bishu area, including Kai-Mihara school, produced many swords during the Muromachi period as it was in the middle of the Sengoku period (Warring States period). The demand for weapons increased among strong feudal lords. *Please keep in mind that there are several Kitae Kizu on the blade. Authentication Paper NTHK, also known as NPO Nihon Touken Hozon Kai, is the oldest organization for sword authentication of Japanese swords in modern times. It was established in 1889 during the post-Samurai era. They authenticated the blade on October 2oth in the 6th year of Reiwa (2024). Registration Number It is called Jyu Hou Touken Rui Torokusho (銃砲刀剣類登録証).
Offered by Samurai Museum
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Yamato-den · Bingo
4 pieces on the market now
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Masamune正宗 | 1469-1487 | 0 |
| Masaoki正興 | 1521-1528 | 0 |
| Nagashige長重 | 1487-1489 | 0 |
| Kaneyasu兼安 | 1469-1487 | 0 |
| Takakane高兼 | 1504-1521 | 0 |
Yamato in the Nanbokuchō period
When the Southern Court made its capital at Yoshino, in Yamato itself, the province’s schools were at their height: the late Tegai line, Shikkake Norinaga, and the pure masame of Hōshō. Their technique was already spreading across the provinces.
The NTHK’s principal certificate, issued for a blade of considerable quality. It confirms a genuine signature, or, for an unsigned (mumei) work, records the judges’ attribution to a smith or school. The paper carries a detailed worksheet with a numerical point score.
The NTHK (Nihon Tōken Hozon Kai, the Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Sword) is the oldest of Japan’s sword-appraisal bodies, founded in 1910, decades before the NBTHK. After the death of its long-serving head it divided into two successor societies, the NTHK and the NTHK-NPO, both of which continue to hold shinsa. NTHK certificates are known for a detailed worksheet that records a numerical point score alongside the judges’ written opinion, and the society is especially respected for its attribution of unsigned (mumei) work.
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