This is a koto katana certified NBTHK Hozon and attributed to the Shitahara group of Bushu (Musashi). The blade measures 62.27 cm in nagasa with a gentle 0.76 cm sori, presenting a dignified shinogi-zukuri profile and a well-forged jihada. Shitahara blades often show steady forging with Sōshū–Mino influences, and this example represents the group’s robust, field-ready character in a well-preserved Muromachi aesthetic.
NihontoWatchmumei · Shitahara · Muromachi · nagasa 62.27cm · sori 0.76cm
Shinto · Musashi
10 pieces on the market now
The Shitahara group (下原) worked at Hachiōji in Bushū, the old province of Musashi, from the end of the Muromachi period and carried its forge on into the Edo period. The setsumei place the lineage among the swordmakers of Musashi in the kotō age and name Terushige, Yasushige, Hiroshige, and Chikashige as its leading hands, with the meikan recording Terushige across three generations: a shodai in Kyōroku, a nidai in Eiroku, and a sandai in Tenshō. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Terushige照重 | 1558-1570 | 2 |
| Terushige照重 | 1596-1615 | 1 |
| Yasushige康重 | 1558-1570 | 1 |
| Morishige盛重 | 1661-1673 | 0 |
| Yasushige康重 | 1661-1704 | 0 |
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 site30-day money-back guarantee from receipt; items must be unused, complete, in original packaging. Sale items Final Sale. Antique swords non-returnable (Japanese export law). Damage reported within 72 hours. Customer pays return shipping unless seller error/defect. Refunds within 14 days of inspection.
This is a koto katana certified NBTHK Hozon and attributed to the Shitahara group of Bushu (Musashi). The blade measures 62.27 cm in nagasa with a gentle 0.76 cm sori, presenting a dignified shinogi-zukuri profile and a well-forged jihada. Shitahara blades often show steady forging with Sōshū–Mino influences, and this example represents the group’s robust, field-ready character in a well-preserved Muromachi aesthetic.
NihontoWatchmumei · Shitahara · Muromachi · nagasa 62.27cm · sori 0.76cm
Shinto · Musashi
10 pieces on the market now
The Shitahara group (下原) worked at Hachiōji in Bushū, the old province of Musashi, from the end of the Muromachi period and carried its forge on into the Edo period. The setsumei place the lineage among the swordmakers of Musashi in the kotō age and name Terushige, Yasushige, Hiroshige, and Chikashige as its leading hands, with the meikan recording Terushige across three generations: a shodai in Kyōroku, a nidai in Eiroku, and a sandai in Tenshō. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Terushige照重 | 1558-1570 | 2 |
| Terushige照重 | 1596-1615 | 1 |
| Yasushige康重 | 1558-1570 | 1 |
| Morishige盛重 | 1661-1673 | 0 |
| Yasushige康重 | 1661-1704 | 0 |
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 site30-day money-back guarantee from receipt; items must be unused, complete, in original packaging. Sale items Final Sale. Antique swords non-returnable (Japanese export law). Damage reported within 72 hours. Customer pays return shipping unless seller error/defect. Refunds within 14 days of inspection.
