In the Sengoku era the school served a second warrior court: the Later Hōjō at Odawara, whose patronage kept the Tsunahiro line forging hitatsura for the uchigatana age until the castle fell to Hideyoshi in 1590.
NihontoWatchNihontoWatchThis blade was signed by Hiromasa (広正) during the late Muromachi period in Sagami province (today’s Kanagawa prefecture). The swordsmith’s name Hiromasa continued for several generations, and we estimate that this sword was made by one of the later Hiromasa. The first generation was a disciple of the famous swordsmith Masamune (正宗), and he inherited the techniques of the Soshu Den from him. He produced many swords in Sagami province (today’s Kanagawa prefecture) around 1356 to 1361. However, very few of his works have survived. Later, around 1469, a swordsmith who inherited the name Hiromasa moved from Sagami province to the Kouzuke province (today’s Gunma prefecture), where he began making swords for the Obata family (小幡家), who were local lords. Hiromasa swords became well-known for their exquisite carvings, with designs such as Fudo Myoo (不動明王, acalanātha) and Kurikara (倶利伽羅, a pattern where a dragon is entwined around the sword) being particularly popular. Soshu Den It is said that the generations of Sukemune mastered a particular sword-forging tradition called Soshu Den. Shoshu Den was born in the middle of the Kamakura period. Back then, the Yamato and Yamashiro traditions were highly developed, and there were a few renowned swordsmiths from those regions. However, the sword-forging practice was in its infancy in the Kanto area, where the Soshu region was located. At the beginning of the Kamakura government, which was established in 1185, the first Shogun, Minamoto Yoritomo, prioritized making a lot of rules to have its political stability. And he couldn’t afford to hire swordsmiths within the same region or train them. Therefore, the Kamakura government originally ordered weapons to the swordsmiths in the other areas, such as Yamato and Yamashiro. But, since the government was established, the demand for weapons increased exponentially in the government, and they had to figure out how to meet those demands from Samurai who served Kamakura shogunate. Then, the 5th head of the Shogun, Hojo Tokiyori, invited two renowned swordsmiths from other parts of Japan. They were Awataguchi Kunitsuna from Yamashiro province and Bizen Saburo Kunimune from Bizen province. And the 7th-gen Shogun Koreyasu Shino also invited Fukuoka Ichimonji Sukezane from Bizen province. It is said that those three swordsmiths played an essential role in creating the Soshu Den and making the foundation of the Soshu Den. Also another famous figure in the Soshu den is Intou Kunimitsu, an adopted son of Awataguchi Knitsuna. And Kunimitsu passed his excellent craftsmanship to Yukimitsu, his apprentice. And Masamune, one of the most famous swordsmiths in Japanese history, was an apprentice of Yukimitsu. And Masamune was the one that brought Shoshuden to nationwide fame. The tradition Masamune completed became an example of other swordsmiths who learned Soshu Den. Also, Soshu Den influenced many renowned swordsmiths during the Koto- Shinto era. One of examples is Inoue Shinkai from Osaka and Suishinshi Masahide from Edo. Background During the late Muromachi period, which corresponds to the Sengoku period (戦国時代, the Warring States period), Japan was marked by constant military conflict and political instability. Samurai played a crucial role in these tumultuous times, and their need for high-quality weapons, especially swords, became more pronounced. The samurai relied heavily on swords not only as a symbol of their status and power but also as essential tools in battle. Swords were seen as extensions of the samurai’s spirit and were used for both combat and ceremonial purposes. The demand for swords, particularly those forged by renowned swordsmiths, grew as different feudal lords (daimyō) sought to arm their warriors with the best possible weapons. During this period, the production of swords was not only for military use but also for ceremonial purposes, as samurai were expected to maintain a strong connection to traditional values and the aesthetics of their culture. High-quality swords with intricate designs, such as those featuring symbols of Buddhism or dragons, became highly sought after for their beauty as well as their functionality. As the Sengoku period progressed, swordsmiths who could produce superior weapons like Hiromasa gained renown, and their blades were seen as vital for the success of the samurai in both war and in their role as protectors of their territories. Horimono (Engraving) On this blade, you would find Horimo (彫物, blade sculpture) on each side. These are the elements of this blade’s beauty. On one side, an engraving of the Kurikara-ken (倶利伽羅剣) is featured. The Kurikara-ken is the sacred sword wielded by Fudō Myō-ō and is often depicted entwined with a dragon, symbolizing the power to cut through ignorance and evil. This esoteric Buddhist emblem was believed to provide protection and spiritual strength, and samurai warriors often incorporated such motifs into their swords as a source of mental and spiritual support. The design of this Kurikara-ken follows the form of the Sanko-tsuka-ken (三鈷柄剣, Three-pronged Vajra Sword), a sacred tool in esoteric Buddhism used in rituals, prayers, and for warding off evil. On the other side, you would find the Bonji (梵字) are engraved. In the case of sword carvings, we often find Fudo Myo-O (不動明王, acalanātha) or his incarnations, and there are also Sanskrit characters that represent this god. Such a trend might have inspired this Fuchi Kashira’s design. Among the various Buddhist Buddhas, Fudo Myo-O was deeply worshiped by Samurai warriors. According to a theory, this god is the incarnation of Dainichi Nyorai (大日如来, Mahāvairocana, the principal image of esoteric Buddhism). Perhaps the most common type of Sanskrit character carved on the blades is the character “Kahn (カーン)”, which means Fudo Myo-O. There is also a Sanskrit character called “Kanmarn (カンマーン),” which is combined with the word “Man.” There was once a trend for Samurai warriors to incorporate motifs with religious meaning into their battle costumes, such as armor and helmets, and it was also a way to express their religious beliefs. What is Tanto? Japanese swords under the blade length of 30cm (11.6 inches) are generally called TANTO, and sometimes TSUBA(鍔; Hand-Guard) is not attached to the TANTO. It was easy to carry and convenient for close combats. It was initially used as a supplemental weapon for Samurai on horseback, who used a pole weapon or long sword in the Kamaura-Muromachi period. Samurai aimed at an unprotected area of his enemy’s armor with Tanto while having to fight with close distance. TANTO was named accordingly, depending on how you carry it, such as HUTOKORO-GATANA (懐刀; Stomach-Sword) or KOSHI-GATANA(腰刀; Waist-Sword) or elsewise. TANTO was also a gift for a bride from her family in a traditional Japanese wedding, as it is believed that TANTO would be divine protection from evil power. This blade is appraised as a Hozon Touken (保存刀剣) issued by NBTHK (Nihon Bijutsu Touken Hozon Kyokai: 日本美術刀剣保存協会). *Please keep in mind that there are some noticeable kitae Kizu on the blade. Tsuba and Menuki The theme of the Menuki is the dragon (龍, Ryū). The dragon is an imaginary creature that originated in ancient Chinese mythology and has long been regarded as an auspicious symbol associated with power, wisdom, and good fortune. According to traditional descriptions, its body combines the characteristics of nine different animals: the antlers of a deer, the head of a camel, the eyes of a demon, the neck of a snake, the belly of a Mizuchi (蛟, a Japanese mythical serpent-like creature with horns and four legs), the scales of a fish, the claws of a falcon, the paws of a tiger, and the ears of a cow. Because it embodies the finest qualities of many creatures, the dragon was believed to reign supreme over all animals. In Japan, dragons have also been revered as water deities through the tradition known as Ryūjin Shinkō (竜神信仰, Dragon God Worship). As rice cultivation has always depended on a stable water supply, dragons came to symbolize rain, rivers, fertility, and prosperity. For this reason, dragon motifs have remained one of the most popular and auspicious designs in Japanese sword mountings for centuries. Kozuka The motif of this Kozuka is Kurikara-ken (倶利伽羅剣, Kurikara sword). The Kurikara-ken (Sword entwined by a dragon) is the sword held by Fudō Myō-ō in his right hand. A flaming dragon known as Kurikara Ryū-ō (倶利伽羅竜王) coils around the blade, symbolizing the “Sword of Wisdom” that cuts through ignorance, evil, and worldly desires. In esoteric Buddhism, this sacred sword is believed to possess the power to purify the spirit and ward off evil forces. Saya The surface of this Saya is decorated with the Ishime-Ji (石目地). Its base was hit by Tagane (鏨, chisel for metalworking), and it makes a rough surface that seems stone. Authentication Paper They authenticated the blade on March 6th in the 25th year of Heisei (2013). They appraised it as Hozon Touken, the blade worth preserving for Japanese society. Registration Number The Board of Education in Tokyo isued a registration paper for this sword.
Sue-Soshu School末相州派
Offered by Samurai Museum
21 on the market
Soshu-den · Sagami
21 pieces on the market now
Within the province of Sagami, where Masamune and his successors had set the Soshu-den on its course, a late body of smiths carried that workmanship forward through the Muromachi period after the classic Nanbokucho masters had passed. These are the Sue-Soshu (末相州), the late Sagami line that took up the manner of Hiromitsu and Akihiro and worked it into the sixteenth century under the patronage of the Later Hojo of Odawara. The published sources draw a division within the group: one body of smiths remained at Kamakura while a separate circle lived at Odawara under the Hojo, the latter collectively called the Odawara-Soshu. The Tsunahiro line anchors the whole, its shodai transmitted as a descendant of Hiromasa who first signed Masahiro, summoned by Hojo Ujitsuna to Odawara and granted the character tsuna; the name then passed as a workshop title through several generations into the Edo period. Around it stand Tsunaie, a retained smith of the Hojo regarded among the more skilled of the late line; Fusamune, the Odawara smith whose carving carries a long reputation; the mid-Muromachi Hiromasa, transmitted as the third generation of his name; Masahiro, a Sagami lineage of four or five generations said to descend from a younger son of Masamune; and Hirotsugu of Kamakura, who also bears Tenbun-era inscriptions tying him to Suruga. The shared vocabulary of the school is read off temper, steel, and carving together. The jigane is an itame mixed with mokume and nagare-hada that tends to stand and open rather than gather tightly, ji-nie adhering across it with chikei entering, the Odawara hands (Fusamune above all) tightening this toward a packed ko-itame. Over that ground the smiths temper a gunome-midare into which choji, togariba, the arrow-notch yahazu tooth, and ko-notare enter, the ha widening as it rises; nie attaches with sunagashi and kinsuji, and tobiyaki with muneyaki are then carried across the ji until the whole becomes hitatsura, the full-temper manner the sources name as the inheritance from Hiromitsu and Akihiro.
The Odawara face leans angular and compound, gunome heads breaking into doubled and koshi-biraki structures over a tight, nioi-dominant nioiguchi, while the Kamakura face of Tsunahiro keeps the broader, yahazu-laced midare. Devotional carving recurs throughout, true and grass kurikara, bonji on a lotus rendai, sanko-ken and gomabashi in raised relief, and incised invocations such as Hachiman Daibosatsu. Set against the classic Soshu-den apex, the divergence is one of register rather than kind: where the Kamakura and Nanbokucho masters reached great depth of nie and clarity of steel, the late line works a flatter, more demonstrative hitatsura over a standing grain, the steel less deep and the nie less profound, the flamboyance of full temper standing in for the restrained command of the founders. For kantei, the Sue-Soshu blade announces itself by the Muromachi sugata (compact hira-zukuri tanto with uchizori, or sun-nobi wakizashi of wide mihaba with sakizori) carrying full hitatsura over an open, standing itame, with the dense devotional horimono the sources treat as a defining mark of Sagami work of the era; the absence of the deep, lucid nie and the midare-utsuri-free clarity of the Kamakura masters separates it from classic Soshu. The Odawara hand is told from the Kamakura hand by its tighter steel, its angular and koshi-biraki gunome, and Fusamune's exceptionally refined relief carving. Among the members, Tsunahiro is the first name of the group, the smith who closes the tradition, the published sources naming him well known and highly skilled within the group, with Tsunaie and Fusamune as the next most accomplished; Hiromasa and Masahiro furnish the dated, ubu-signed documents on which the divided generations are anchored. Provenance, where it survives, is real and distinguished: a Tsunahiro wakizashi bears the ownership inscription of the Hojo retainer Sakurai Daigaku and later passed to Okubo Ichio, while one of his blades is recorded in Honma's inventory of the Imperial collection; most members, however, carry no recorded daimyo or temple history, their standing resting on the rarity of a signed late-Sagami blade and the carving and steel the sources praise on each. A signed Sue-Soshu work, seldom met yet not locked away as national patrimony, offers the student the Muromachi register of the Soshu-den read whole. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Fusamune總宗 | 1504-1521 | 5 |
| Tsunahiro綱廣 | 1532-1555 | 14 |
| Hiromasa廣正 | 1444-1456 | 4 |
| Hirotsugu廣次 | 1492-1501 | 4 |
| Tsunaie綱家 | 1532-1555 | 3 |
Sōshū in the Muromachi period
In the Sengoku era the school served a second warrior court: the Later Hōjō at Odawara, whose patronage kept the Tsunahiro line forging hitatsura for the uchigatana age until the castle fell to Hideyoshi in 1590.
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.
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