NihontoWatchMukansa Sakai Ikkansai Shigemasa, whose real name was Sakai Hiroshi, was born in Meiji 38 in Otowa-cho, Shizuoka City, as the third son of Sakai Yasujiro (the younger brother of Miyaguchi Masatoshi). In Taisho 10 at the age of 16, he went to Tokyo and entered the school of Kasama Ikkansai Shigetsugu, where he studied the Bizen-den and other styles over a long period, training in both smithing and engraving. He received the character "Shige" from his master and first used the mei "Shigemasa" (繁正), later signing as "Shigemasa" (繁政). In Showa 8, he joined the Yasukuni Tanrenjo as a sakite for his cousin Miyaguchi Yasuhiro (also known as Toshihiro). In Showa 11, he left the Yasukuni Tanrenjo along with Miyaguchi Yasuhiro and Takeda Sadayoshi, moving to the Okura Tanren Dojo established by Baron Okura Kishichiro. In Showa 16, he opened an independent smithy in Itabashi Ward, Tokyo. In the same year, he was certified as an Army commissioned swordsmith. In Showa 19, he was certified as a Navy commissioned swordsmith. In Showa 56, he was designated Mukansa by the (Public Interest Incorporated Foundation) Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai. Shigemasa, who crafted swords in Tokyo for a long time, moved his residence to Saitama in his later years and continued to energetically craft swords until he passed away in 1996 (Heisei 8) at the age of 91. This work possesses a beautiful jigane due to the skill of the forging which is a characteristic of Sakai Ikkansai Shigemasa, and the hamon stands out.
NihontoWatchOffered by Katanahanbai
4 on the market
As written by the shop
Machine translation from the shop's Japanese · may contain errors ·
around 1926-1989
4 pieces 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.
Certifies a genuine blade worth preserving: a signature confirmed correct, or, if unsigned, an era, province, and school that the NBTHK can reliably identify.
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 siteFor cooling-off, contact us within 3 days including the day you received the item, and ship it so that it arrives within 8 days. After 8 days a return cannot be accepted. Returning an item after 8 days will be treated as a buy-back.
¥660,000