NihontoWatchSummary This blade was signed by Tesshū Dōjin Akimitsu (鉄収道昭光) in the 18th year of the Showa era (1943). While Akimitsu forged the blade, the engraving was done by Echizen Koku Akitada (越前国昭忠). They worked for the same master named Kurihara Hikosaburo Akihide. And they collaborated often in their career. Akitada was famous for creating intricate Horimono (engraving) and Tsubas (handguards for the Japanese sword). Akimitsu was born in Niigata prefecture in the 38th year of the Meiji era (1905). His birth name was Igarashi Masaji. He was one of the most renowned modern swordsmiths in the early Showa era. Before World War Ⅱ, he received multiple awards for his excellent craftsmanship. During World War Ⅱ, he worked as Rikugun Jyumei Tosho(陸軍受命刀匠), which was the title given by the Japanese military to skilled Japanese swordsmiths during Taisho-the early Showa period. To receive this title, a swordsmith forged two swords and submitted them to the governmental agency that produced weapons. After passing the particular and rigorous exam there, the swordsmith would be acknowledged as Rikugun Jyumei Tosho. We assumed he primarily forged swords for the Japanese military before and during World War Ⅱ. Horimono (Engraving) A dragon is beautifully engraved on one side. Initially, the dragon was an imaginary creature found in ancient foreign traditions or myths. Furthermore, it is regarded as a symbol 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, 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. The other side also has Horimono(the inscription) of Sanscrit letter that means Fudo Myo-O, who is one of the objects of worship in Buddhism. According to a theory, it is the incarnation of Dainichi Nyorai (大日如来, Mahāvairocana, the principal image of esoteric Buddhism). This blade 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). Authentication Paper They authenticated the blade on March 2nd in the 4th year of Reiwa (2022). They appraised it as Tokubetsu Hozon Touken, the blade especially worth preserving for Japanese society.
Akimitsu昭光
Offered by Samurai Museum
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Niigata · around 1926-1989
Tōken Taikan top 100%
1 piece on the market now
Shōwa to the present: destruction and revival
The twentieth century nearly killed the craft twice: wartime distortion, then the occupation ban. The NBTHK’s founding in 1948 and licensed forging from 1953 rebuilt the sword as an art, crowned by Living National Treasures and the mukansa rank.
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.