JUYO TOKEN Katana attributed to Aoe for sale | Samurai Museum Shop E-mail FB Messenger Skip to content Menu Close Samurai Museum Shop Products Antique Japanese Sword Katana Attributed to Aoe NBTHK JUYO TOKEN Certificate Updated: 21 Jun 2026 SOLD Antique Japanese Sword Katana Attributed to Aoe NBTHK JUYO TOKEN Certificate $ 0.00 DELIVERY TIME : Approx. 1-1.5 months *We ship from Tokyo, Japan. There might be delay in shipment depending on countries. SHIPPING TO : USA, Canada, Mexico, Germany , Belgium, France, Finland, Hong Kong, Australia *Please contact us prior to purchase if your country isn’t listed. INCLUDED : NBTHK JUYO TOKEN Certificate, Shirasaya Case, Koshirae Case, Traditional Sword Carrying Case, Sword Maintenance Kit, Full Exportation Support Category Katana (KOTO) Age Late Kamakura-early Nanbokucho period Swordsmith attributed to Aoe (青江: Unsigned) Certificate NBTHK JUYO TOKEN Certificate Location Bitchu province (Today’s Okayama prefecture) Blade Size Cutting Edge Length : 65.6 cm (25.8 inches) Curvature: 1.6 cm (0.63 inches) Thank you for visiting our website. This sword was sold as each antique Japanese sword is one of a kind. However, we might be able to show you something similar because we have various types of swords available. Also, there are ones that aren’t listed on the website yet. Our customer service will help you find your ideal blade you will cherish for generations. Please feel free to contact us or check the list of swords . We will be more than happy to help you. SOLD Add to wishlist SKU: Tochigi 48809 Categories: Katana(刀) , Authentic Japanese Sword / Katana , Japanese Sword / Katana , Featured Japanese Sword Tags: Ko-To , Kamakura Period , Nanbokucho Period , Juyo Token Description Antique Japanese Sword Katana attributed to Aoe with NBTHK JUYO TOKEN Certificate 【Description】 Summary This blade is attributed to Aoe (青江) during the late Kamakura-early Nanbokucho period. Aoe school was founded by Yasutsugu (安次) during the late Heian period (Early 12th century), and it was located in today’s Kurashiki town, Okayama prefecture. In Bitchu province, there were two prestigious schools during that time. One is Aoe school, and the other is Seno school, established by Noritaka (則高). Aoe school was prosperous from the late Heian to the late Nanbokucho period. Aoe school is divided into three categories in Japanese sword terminology depending on the period. When the blade is from the late Heian-mid Kamakura period, it is called *Ko-Aoe (Old Mihara). It is called Chu Aoe (Middle Aoe) for those forged in the mid Kamakura-early Nanbokucho period. Finally, Sue-Aoe (Late Aoe) is used for the late Nanbokucho period or later. One of the most famous figures in Aoe school is Moritsugu, who trained Sadatsugu, Tsuguie, and Tsunetsugu. These three swordsmiths were famous for Gobankaji (御番鍛冶). Gobankaji is a unique system created by the retired emperor Go-Toba (後鳥羽上皇), who was enthusiastic about the Japanese sword-forging. He summoned twelve of the finest swordsmiths nationwide, and one swordsmith forged a blade for the emperor each month. Bitchu is located near the Chugoku Mountains, where iron sands, one of the essential materials for making Japanese Japanese swords, were abundant. Furthermore, BIZEN swordsmiths had close access to the Takahashi River, where they could find water and charcoal. This geological location contributed to the swordsmiths forging high-quality refined blades. When Aoe school flourished in the Nanbokucho period, Japan was tumultuous because the imperial court was split into two sides(south and north). There were many conflicts, and many Samurai were deployed. The Aoe school must have dedicated itself to forging high-quality blades for those Samurai who fought in battles. It is said that they were land owners and Samurai as well. They served the southern imperial court, which ended up losing the battle against the northern imperial court. After the southern side was lost, the school’s property was ended. However, the descendants of a member of Aoe school established another school called Mizuta school in the Muromachi period, and lasted during the Edo period. Tachi Koshirae Tachi was originally worn by high-class court novels that belonged to the imperial court. It mainly used by an armored Samurai with one hand on horseback from the Heian period (794-1185 A.D.) until the early Muromachi period later. TACHI was suspended loosely on the left waist with its edge facing the ground so that you could draw it faster to cut down soldiers on the ground. Because of its gorgeous looking, having a Tachi-style sword mounting became a social status among Samurai. Appraisal This blade is appraised as a JUYO TOKEN (重要刀剣) issued by NBTHK (Nihon Bijutsu Touken Hozon Kyokai: 日本美術刀剣保存協会). This authentication paper was only given to authentic Japanese swords, exceptionally well preserved and of high quality with artistic value. JUYO is one rank higher than Tokubetsu Hozon. To be eligible for a Juyo Token, it needs to be appraised as a Tokubetsu Hozon Token first. It is extremely rare for an antique Japanese sword to be appraised as JUYO TOKEN, and it is highly desirable among Japanese sword collectors. *Please keep in mind that there are a couple of noticeable Kitae Kizu on this blade. If you like to see the detailed condition, please feel free to contact us. 【 Blade】 Cutting Edge Length (Nagasa) : 65.6 cm (25.8 inches) Curvature (Sori) : 1.6 cm (0.63 inches) Hamon : The crystalline structure which forms along the cutting edge of a blade as a result of the hardening process. Jimon (Jihada) : Visible steel surface pattern created by folding and hammering during forging process. Nakago : Nakago is the tang of the Japanese sword. Japanese swordsmiths left the black rust on the tang because it prevents red rust while the tang is in its handle. And the discoloration of the tang was created over time, and it is a great indicator for a Japanese sword specialist to estimate when the sword was forged. Koshirae : Koshirae is the mounting of the Japanese sword. There are several parts that consist of Koshirae such as Saya (Scabbard), Tsuka (Handle), Tsuba (Handguard). Fuchi-Kashira : A pair of matching sword fittings that cover the upper and bottom parts of its sword hilt. Tsuka and Menuki : Tsuka is the handle of the Japanese sword and Menuki is its decoration. Dragonfly is the theme of this Menki. Dragonflies have been inhabited in Japan for a long time. Since they prey quickly, their heroic figure was sometimes the object of belief. The dragonfly was called the Kachimushi (勝ち虫, winning insect) during the Warring States period because of its fearless character. Dragonflies fly around fast to catch pests, moving only forward, not backward. Therefore, people thought the behaviors of this insect showed the spirit of Futaiten (不退転); it is a state of mind or a state in which a person has some conviction and does not give in to difficulties. It is very persuasive that Samurai warriors cherished this design as an auspicious motif because of the spirit that Samurai should be prepared for the battlefields. Not only for sword mountings, dragonfly patterns were also incorporated into various items such as helmets, armor, battle coats, etcetera. Tsuba and Habaki : Tsuba is the handguard for the Japanese Sword and Habaki is the equipment to make the blade not touch its scabbard inside. It prevents the blade from getting rusty and chipped. Various family crests are designed on this Tsuba. One of them is The Suishi Mon (水車紋). The Suisha (水車, waterwheel) has also been used as a design. The Suisha Mon (水車紋) is a wheel-shaped pattern in which several ladles are attached to the ring. The waterwheel was developed as a familiar tool for daily life and was often used as a design for the Kosodes (小袖, a kind of traditional Japanese costume) in the Edo period. The Tsuchi (槌, hammer), which is similar to the Hishaku (柄杓, ladle), began to be drawn in the early Edo period. The wa
SOLD
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Specifications
65.6 cm
1.6 cm
About the school
Aoe School青江派
The Aoe school arose in Bitchu Province, a region celebrated for iron production since antiquity. The early eleventh-century miscellany *Shin Sarugaku-ki* already lists "the swords of Bitchu" among the noted products of the provinces, and roughly two centuries later the Aoe swordsmiths emerged as heirs to that high reputation, flourishing chiefly in the lower basin of the Takahashi River in such locales as Koji and Manju. The school is traditionally said to have begun with Yasutsugu around the Shoan era, and thereafter it prospered greatly down to the later part of the Nanbokucho period. Within this lineage, works produced up through approximately the mid-Kamakura period are distinguished as Ko-Aoe, while those from the late Kamakura period onward through the Nanbokucho era are broadly termed Aoe. Representative smiths of the Nanbokucho phase include Tsugunao, Tsuguyoshi, Moritsugu, and Naotsugu, yet a great many surviving blades are *mumei* and attributed to the school collectively rather than to individual hands, reflecting the depth and continuity of the tradition as a whole. The NBTHK identifies two principal modes of Aoe workmanship. The first is a *suguha*-based temper in which the *nioiguchi* tends toward tightness, producing a bright and clear effect; the second is the distinctive *saka-choji-midare* that reached full maturity around the Enbun era (1356-1361), during the height of the Nanbokucho period. Ko-Aoe works are generally *ko-nie-deki*, with a somewhat *shizumi* (subdued) nioiguchi in suguha mixed with small undulations; by the late Kamakura period the *nie* becomes calmer, and in Nanbokucho pieces the nioiguchi tightens and the construction shifts to *nioi-deki*. It is specifically noted that whereas smiths of other provinces in this period display nie-deki under the influence of the Soshu tradition, Aoe works remain nioi-deki -- a hallmark distinction. The forging characteristically shows *ko-itame* mixed with *mokume*, with finely standing grain producing the so-called *chirimen-hada* (crepe-like texture); *jifu* (patchy, mottled surface features) and *sumihada* (sooty-toned areas) are frequently intermingled. The *jihada* regularly exhibits *midare-utsuri*, and toward the cutting edge a layered, streak-like utsuri known as *dan-utsuri* is a major highlight of the school. Fine *ji-nie* adheres thickly, with *chikei* entering well. Overall, when compared with Bizen works of the same era, Aoe blades present a somewhat restrained and austere taste. Across the tradition's long arc from the late Heian period to the close of the Nanbokucho era, the NBTHK consistently praises Aoe works for the brightness and clarity of both *ji* and *ha*, frequently employing the term *saeru* (clear, brilliant) to describe the nioiguchi. Blades are commended for being *kenzen* (sound and well-preserved), for retaining ample *nikuoki* (blade "flesh"), and for conveying an atmosphere of sincerity and quiet elegance. The recurring evaluative language -- "the salient points of Aoe are conspicuously displayed," "an especially fine example even among works attributed to this school" -- underscores the NBTHK's regard for the tradition as one producing consistently high-caliber work whose collective identity is immediately recognizable. The school's Nanbokucho-period output, with its wide *mihaba*, imposing *o-kissaki*, and bold *boshi* that rises and returns with a pointed tendency, conveys the powerful period character of that age, while earlier Ko-Aoe pieces are valued for their thoroughly archaic feeling and deep flavor. Taken together, the Aoe school represents one of the major traditions of western Japan, distinguished by its refined forging, luminous suguha, and the singular visual drama of its utsuri effects.
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