This is a katana by Mutsu no Kami Tadayoshi, a smith from Hizen Province, active during the Manji era of the Edo period. It is rated as Saijo Owazamono and comes with a Tokubetsu Hozon Token certificate. The blade features a superb jigane characteristic of Hizen swords and a bright, clear hamon with choji-midare and gunome-midare patterns.
Auction status: live on sword-auction.com.
NihontoWatchBETAmei · Edo · nagasa 69.4cm · sori 1.4cm
Shinto · Hizen · Early Edo
Fujishiro Jo-jo saku · Tōken Taikan top 21%
2 pieces on the market now
Tosa no Kami Tadayoshi occupies a position of singular ambiguity within the Hizen tradition. The NBTHK setsumei observe that "there are many competing theories, and it remains uncertain who he actually was," though "there is no doubt that he stood in a very close relationship to the first-generation Tadayoshi." It is transmitted that when the first-generation Tadayoshi changed his name to Tadahiro in Kan'ei 1 (1624), the Tadayoshi signature was transferred to this smith, who subsequently received the court titles Tosa no Jo and then Tosa no Kami. The third-generation Mutsu no Kami Tadayoshi, the legitimate heir of the second-generation Omi no Daijo Tadahiro, predeceased his father, and surviving works by both Tosa no Kami and Mutsu no Kami are comparatively rare.
Across extant designations, the hallmarks of the Hizen school are consistently evident. The kitae ranges from tightly forged ko-itame-hada with well-adhering ji-nie to dense ko-itame of fine quality. The hamon encompasses both spirited midare-ba -- including choji mixed with gunome and ko-gunome, with deep nioi and well-adhering ko-nie and sunagashi -- and the vigorous choji-midare with intermingled tobiyaki characteristic of the school's more animated works. Blades attributed before the receipt of the Tosa title display particularly fine workmanship, with the jigane described as "well-forged and tightly refined."
The setsumei emphasize both the rarity and the scholarly value of these works. The Kan'ei 1 dated blade is described as "extremely valuable material for the study of Hizen swords," as it sits at the precise moment of the name transfer from first-generation to successor. Among the broader Hizen tradition, naginata by any generation are noted as "few in number," lending additional significance to the third-generation's contribution in that form. Across all attributions, the consistent refinement of both ji and ha affirms the intimate continuity linking these smiths to the founding standards of the Hizen school.
Where Tosa no Kami Tadayoshi stands among comparable artisans: across all of nihontō, and within tradition, era, and period. The tiers (Foremost · Leading · Major · Notable) weigh official designations from the NBTHK and Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs, together with historical honors of lasting repute such as the Sansaku and Meibutsu-chō.
Select a lens to see how it's measured.
Shinto · Hizen
115 pieces on the market now
The Hizen Tadayoshi school began with a single domain commission. In Keicho 1 (1596) the Nabeshima of Hizen ordered Hashimoto Shinzaemon, the smith who would sign Tadayoshi, up to Kyoto with the carver Munenaga; there he entered the gate of Umetada Myoju and studied forging while Munenaga learned the chisel. The two returned to the province in Keicho 3 (1598), and Tadayoshi settled in the castle town below Saga, where under the domain's patronage the line grew into the dominant sword-making house of Kyushu. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Tadayoshi忠吉 | 1596-1632 | 124 |
| Tadayoshi忠吉 | 1662-1681 | 59 |
| Tadahiro忠廣 | 1624-1693 | 170 |
| Masahiro正廣 | 1624-1655 | 32 |
| Tadakuni忠國 | 1648-1652 | 32 |
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 siteIf you wish to return an item, please notify us within 3 days of receipt. After this period we cannot accept cancellations. Please ship the return to us within 5 business days. Cancellation is conditional on the item being kept in the same condition as at the time of sale, so please handle it with care.
This is a katana by Mutsu no Kami Tadayoshi, a smith from Hizen Province, active during the Manji era of the Edo period. It is rated as Saijo Owazamono and comes with a Tokubetsu Hozon Token certificate. The blade features a superb jigane characteristic of Hizen swords and a bright, clear hamon with choji-midare and gunome-midare patterns.
Auction status: live on sword-auction.com.
NihontoWatchBETAmei · Edo · nagasa 69.4cm · sori 1.4cm
Shinto · Hizen · Early Edo
Fujishiro Jo-jo saku · Tōken Taikan top 21%
2 pieces on the market now
Tosa no Kami Tadayoshi occupies a position of singular ambiguity within the Hizen tradition. The NBTHK setsumei observe that "there are many competing theories, and it remains uncertain who he actually was," though "there is no doubt that he stood in a very close relationship to the first-generation Tadayoshi." It is transmitted that when the first-generation Tadayoshi changed his name to Tadahiro in Kan'ei 1 (1624), the Tadayoshi signature was transferred to this smith, who subsequently received the court titles Tosa no Jo and then Tosa no Kami. The third-generation Mutsu no Kami Tadayoshi, the legitimate heir of the second-generation Omi no Daijo Tadahiro, predeceased his father, and surviving works by both Tosa no Kami and Mutsu no Kami are comparatively rare.
Across extant designations, the hallmarks of the Hizen school are consistently evident. The kitae ranges from tightly forged ko-itame-hada with well-adhering ji-nie to dense ko-itame of fine quality. The hamon encompasses both spirited midare-ba -- including choji mixed with gunome and ko-gunome, with deep nioi and well-adhering ko-nie and sunagashi -- and the vigorous choji-midare with intermingled tobiyaki characteristic of the school's more animated works. Blades attributed before the receipt of the Tosa title display particularly fine workmanship, with the jigane described as "well-forged and tightly refined."
The setsumei emphasize both the rarity and the scholarly value of these works. The Kan'ei 1 dated blade is described as "extremely valuable material for the study of Hizen swords," as it sits at the precise moment of the name transfer from first-generation to successor. Among the broader Hizen tradition, naginata by any generation are noted as "few in number," lending additional significance to the third-generation's contribution in that form. Across all attributions, the consistent refinement of both ji and ha affirms the intimate continuity linking these smiths to the founding standards of the Hizen school.
Where Tosa no Kami Tadayoshi stands among comparable artisans: across all of nihontō, and within tradition, era, and period. The tiers (Foremost · Leading · Major · Notable) weigh official designations from the NBTHK and Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs, together with historical honors of lasting repute such as the Sansaku and Meibutsu-chō.
Select a lens to see how it's measured.
Shinto · Hizen
115 pieces on the market now
The Hizen Tadayoshi school began with a single domain commission. In Keicho 1 (1596) the Nabeshima of Hizen ordered Hashimoto Shinzaemon, the smith who would sign Tadayoshi, up to Kyoto with the carver Munenaga; there he entered the gate of Umetada Myoju and studied forging while Munenaga learned the chisel. The two returned to the province in Keicho 3 (1598), and Tadayoshi settled in the castle town below Saga, where under the domain's patronage the line grew into the dominant sword-making house of Kyushu. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Tadayoshi忠吉 | 1596-1632 | 124 |
| Tadayoshi忠吉 | 1662-1681 | 59 |
| Tadahiro忠廣 | 1624-1693 | 170 |
| Masahiro正廣 | 1624-1655 | 32 |
| Tadakuni忠國 | 1648-1652 | 32 |
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 siteIf you wish to return an item, please notify us within 3 days of receipt. After this period we cannot accept cancellations. Please ship the return to us within 5 business days. Cancellation is conditional on the item being kept in the same condition as at the time of sale, so please handle it with care.
