NihontoWatchSummary This blade was forged by Hoki Koku Jyu Yoshiyuki(伯耆国住吉幸) in August, the seventh year of Bunkyu era(1863: late Edo period), judging from the signature and NBTHK authentication paper. He lived in Hokikoku(Today’s Tottori prefecture) when he created this blade. Yoshiyuki(吉幸) was born as the son of Yamazaki Heiemon Yoshihiro(山崎平右衛門吉広) in Izumo Koku(Today’s Shimane prefecture). Later on, he moved to Yonago city in Hokikoku to serve a swordsmith named Shimizu Masayoshi(清水正吉). His master eventually adopted Yoshiyuki. In his career, he mainly forged swords in Yonago city, but there are also records where he made blades in Izumo koku(his birthplace). Izumo Koku and Hokikoku were neighboring provinces. He first signed as Yoshiyuki(吉行) but changed it to Yoshiyuki(吉幸) while its pronunciation was the same. In his career, he served the Izumo domain as both Samurai and swordsmith. Izumo is the most famous place for producing Tamahagane, special carbon steel used to make Japanese swords. We assume Yoshiyuki had easy access to refined, high-quality steel because of where he lived. We are confident you can appreciate Yoshiyuki’s superb craftsmanship in this blade. Based on his remaining work, he was active at sword-forging from the Ansei era to the early Meiji period (1855-1876). He died at the age of 75 in the 19th year of the Meiji period(1886). The Background History Japan enjoyed a relatively peaceful time from the early Edo period to the mid-Edo period(the 1600s-1760s) because of the stable economy and the powerful government run by Tokugawa Shogun. Samurai didn’t have many opportunities to utilize his Katana sword in public or on battlefields during this time. Thus, they carried their swords more as a symbol of their social status. The demand for weapons decreased accordingly compared to the previous Warring state period called Sengoku Jidai. (1467-1600) However, toward the end of the Edo period(1764-1876), the Japanese sword’s role changed dramatically. With the poverty spreading in Japan, there were so many riots initiated by the civilians. Japanese sword started to play an essential role in maintaining public safety. Pressure from foreign countries to open Japanese borders also forced Samurai to order strong-looking swords to survive this tumultuous time. We believe many swordsmiths, including Yoshiyuki, made great efforts to forged high-quality, practical blades for their masters to prepare for battles. There was a civil war between Tokugawa’s military government and the new Meiji government at the end of the Edo period. That means the original owner of this Katana might have seen the moment when Samurai’s life changed forever. This blade has a strong looking and must have been practical to use in that demanding time. It is appraised as a Tokubetsu Hozon Token(特別保存刀剣) issued by NBTHK(Nihon Bijutsu Touken Hozon Kyokai:日本美術刀剣保存協会). Koshirae This Katana’s Koshirae has the certificate of NBTHK. And it was appraised as the Hozon class. The dragon is the common motif of sword mountings of this Koshirae; the Fuchi Kashira, Menuki, Tsuba, and especially the Kojiri (鐺, the metal fitting that protects the tip of a scabbard) part has the same design as the Fuchi Kashira. Initially, the dragon is an imaginary creature found in ancient foreign traditions and myths. Furthermore, it is regarded as a symbolic beast of auspicious signs. Its body is likened to nine animals: antlers are deer, the head is a camel, eyes are demons, the neck is a snake, the belly is the Mizuchi (蛟, a mythical animal in Japan that looks like a snake and has a horn and four legs), scales are fish, claws are falcons, palms are tigers, and ears are cows. It was thought that the dragon would reign at the top of all animals because of its odd-looking appearance. In addition, we could find another auspicious point of the dragon pattern from this Menuki’s design. If you focus on the lower side dragon’s hand, you will find that this dragon brings a ball-shaped object in its hand. It is the Nyoi Houju (如意宝珠, Cintāmaṇi), a fantasy jewel that fulfills any desire and gives out treasure, clothes, food, and drinks. Moreover, it heals illness and suffering, removes evils, purifies muddy water, and prevents disasters. It is said this magical item is taken from the brain of the dragon king. This Fuchi Kashira and Tsuba theme is the Unryu Zu (雲竜図). It is a combination of dragons and clouds. Clouds bring blessed rain and snow, and their movements significantly affect the day’s weather. Due to its supernatural power, a theory says that gods, spirits, and dragons dwell in the clouds. In Japan, there is a religion that worships the dragon as a water god. It might be one of the reasons why this combination motif is often seen even in sword mountings. In this way, dragon patterns have been familiar to Japanese people (including Samurai warriors) for a long time. Understandably, this sacred beast motif was incorporated into designs for sword mountings. Authentication Paper They authenticated the blade on Feb 19th in the 2nd year of Reiwa (2020) and its Koshirae on July 7th in the 1st year of Reiwa (2019). They appraised the blade as Tokubetsu Hozon Touken, the blade especially worth preserving for Japanese society and Hozon Tosogu for the Koshirae.
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Hoki · around 1848-1854
Fujishiro Chu saku · Tōken Taikan top 95%
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The Edo period (1615 to 1868)
Under the Tokugawa peace the daishō became a regulated uniform, and demand gathered in the castle towns, above all Edo itself. The craft split two ways: brilliant display work for connoisseurs, and tested blades whose cutting results were sometimes inlaid in gold.
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 siteReturns/exchanges limited to defects caused by shipping (except willful misconduct or gross negligence by the company); customers must contact within 72 hours of receiving the product.