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.
This is a newly made katana by Akamatsu Taro Kanemitsu, a modern smith born in 1979 and residing in Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture. He is known for both appreciation and martial arts swords, and has received numerous awards since his first exhibition in 2004. The blade features a choji-midare hamon with muneyaki, and comes with a shirasaya and habaki that have both won awards at the 13th New Japanese Sword Polishing and Exterior Sword Craft Exhibition in 2023.
NihontoWatchmei · 現代（令和） · nagasa 75.4cm · sori 2.1cm
Higo (Yatsushiro) · Heisei-Reiwa
3 pieces on the market now
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.
We could not find an authenticity certificate on the seller’s listing. Japanese swords and fittings are normally papered by the NBTHK (or the NTHK). Without one, the attribution is the seller’s own assessment and has not been independently verified — treat it with caution and ask the dealer about certification before buying.
This is a newly made katana by Akamatsu Taro Kanemitsu, a modern smith born in 1979 and residing in Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture. He is known for both appreciation and martial arts swords, and has received numerous awards since his first exhibition in 2004. The blade features a choji-midare hamon with muneyaki, and comes with a shirasaya and habaki that have both won awards at the 13th New Japanese Sword Polishing and Exterior Sword Craft Exhibition in 2023.
NihontoWatchmei · 現代（令和） · nagasa 75.4cm · sori 2.1cm
Higo (Yatsushiro) · Heisei-Reiwa
3 pieces on the market now
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.
We could not find an authenticity certificate on the seller’s listing. Japanese swords and fittings are normally papered by the NBTHK (or the NTHK). Without one, the attribution is the seller’s own assessment and has not been independently verified — treat it with caution and ask the dealer about certification before buying.
