After the Ōnin War broke the Ashikaga order, a century of Sengoku warfare armed nearly every province in Japan. The era rewards a discriminating eye: routine work exists in quantity, and beside it stand custom blades of the first rank.
It has appeared, it has appeared! A prestigious meito with a noble lineage has appeared. This is a precious katana from the Kobayashi family, who served for generations under the ancestors of Mr. Tadahisa Sakai—the current Chairman of the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai and the lord of the famous Tsuruoka Castle in Shonai, Yamagata Prefecture. The Shonai Sakai family of Yamagata began with the children of Hirochika Sakai, a close ally of Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the Sakai clan flourished as daimyo with more than 10 branches across the country. The maker of this sword, who boldly chiseled the mei of Munenaga (宗永), originally signed as Banshu-ju Munenaga (播州住宗長). He was a disciple of Nakajima Rai Kuninaga of Sesshu. During the Oei era of the Muromachi period (1394, 631 years ago), the Munenaga line moved to Obama in Wakashu, then migrated to Mount Shosha in Banshu around the Tensho era at the end of the Muromachi period. Later, during the Keicho era of the early Edo period (1605, 420 years ago), they moved to the Himeji castle town. During the Edo period, Himeji Castle was ruled by the Sakai clan, hereditary vassals (fudai) of the Tokugawa, and the town flourished as the greatest defensive stronghold facing the west. This sword is a precious piece from around the Meireki era (1655, 370 years ago), featuring the early Munenaga (宗永) mei. This sword displays the Kanbun Shinto sugata, characterized by a noticeable difference between the motohaba and sakihaba with shallow sori. The jigane is forged in ko-itame hada with abundant jinie. The horimono consists of a koshi-hi carved only on the omote side. The hamon is a crisp suguha-style tempered in nioi-deki with nie, imitating the Yamashiro Rai school, occasionally showing togari-ba, and is very well executed. This sword, crafted by the swordsmith Munenaga in Himeji, was entrusted with the precious history of the Kobayashi family—specifically Kobayashi Rikichi Fujiwara Toshiaki—who served the Sakai family of Yamagata with loyalty for seven generations through their move to Himeji. It was preserved to leave their legacy to the world and their descendants. On this occasion, we received this sword from an old estate with the request: "I have grown old, so please pass this on to the next generation at a low price." Therefore, we are offering it at a special bargain price. There is no other sword that leaves the history of the samurai to posterity so grandly; this is a wonderfully lucky and precious blade. Please, everyone, share in the good fortune of this sword and enjoy it.
NihontoWatchOei (1394-1428) · nagasa 74.9cm · sori 0.4cm
Yamashiro-den · Wakasa · around 1394-1428
Tōken Taikan top 37%
2 pieces on the market now
Yamashiro-den · Settsu
6 pieces on the market now
The Nakajima Rai designation identifies swordmaking traditions established when Rai Kuninaga, a disciple of the Kyōto master Rai Kunitoshi, relocated to the Nakajima district of Settsu Province during the late Kamakura period. This move represented both geographical expansion of Rai school influence beyond the imperial capital and the deliberate transplantation of technically sophisticated Kyōto nie-based forging practices into a provincial setting. According to historical sword compendia, smiths using this designation are traditionally counted as two generations: the first active during the Gentoku era (1329–1331), and the second working through the middle decades of the fourteenth century, spanning the Shōhei and Ōan eras. Signed examples are exceedingly rare, and most attributions rest on stylistic analysis of unsigned blades greatly shortened from their original dimensions. Nakajima Rai workmanship faithfully perpetuates the core technical vocabulary of the main Rai school while exhibiting slightly more restrained execution. The forging typically shows compact ko-itame-hada or itame mixed with mokume and nagare-hada, frequently with a tendency toward standing grain; the surface is heavily laden with fine ji-nie that forms in thick, crystalline masses, producing a bright, clear appearance. Chikei enter actively and repeatedly, and faint nie-utsuri often appears along the shinogi side. The hamon follows a characteristic broad suguha-based pattern, into which are mixed ko-gunome, ko-chōji, and small midare elements; within this foundation, ashi and yō enter abundantly, and the nioiguchi is uniformly described as bright and clear.
Internal activities—kinsuji, sunagashi, yubashiri, hotsure, kuichigai-ba, nijūba, and uchi-noke—appear frequently along the habuchi, creating rich variation within the temper line. The bōshi typically forms ko-maru with hakikake, often showing vigorous activity. The overall impression is one of technically accomplished nie-deki work in which the foundational suguha serves as a vehicle for highly active crystalline formations and internal dynamics, closely resembling the style of Rai Kunimitsu but yielding slightly in artistic rank. Extant Nakajima Rai blades almost invariably preserve the bold proportions characteristic of Nanbokuchō-period production: wide mihaba with little taper from base to tip, shallow or deep sori (often retaining koshizori or wazori despite shortening), and extended chū-kissaki or ō-kissaki. Even when greatly shortened, these blades retain an imposing, martial presence that pairs well with the vigorous, nie-laden forging and temper. The technical consistency across designated examples—tight itame with thick ji-nie, broad suguha with active nie, and bright nioiguchi—establishes a coherent stylistic profile that clearly descends from Kyōto Rai traditions while expressing a distinctive provincial character. The combination of robust construction, excellent preservation in surviving examples, and flavorful hataraki within both ji and ha renders Nakajima Rai an important regional expression of late Kamakura and Nanbokuchō swordmaking, preserving the technical sophistication of the capital school in a relocated context. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Kuninaga國長 | 1329-1331 | 58 |
| Kuninaga國長 | 1345-1350 | 11 |
| Kuninaga國長 | 1331-1336 | 2 |
| Munenaga宗長 | 1394-1428 | 0 |
| Naga長 | 1362-1368 | 1 |
The Muromachi period (1392 to 1573)
After the Ōnin War broke the Ashikaga order, a century of Sengoku warfare armed nearly every province in Japan. The era rewards a discriminating eye: routine work exists in quantity, and beside it stand custom blades of the first 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 returns due to customer circumstances, the cost is the customer's responsibility. For returns due to our mis-shipment or a defective item, we bear the cost.
¥650,000
It has appeared, it has appeared! A prestigious meito with a noble lineage has appeared. This is a precious katana from the Kobayashi family, who served for generations under the ancestors of Mr. Tadahisa Sakai—the current Chairman of the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai and the lord of the famous Tsuruoka Castle in Shonai, Yamagata Prefecture. The Shonai Sakai family of Yamagata began with the children of Hirochika Sakai, a close ally of Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the Sakai clan flourished as daimyo with more than 10 branches across the country. The maker of this sword, who boldly chiseled the mei of Munenaga (宗永), originally signed as Banshu-ju Munenaga (播州住宗長). He was a disciple of Nakajima Rai Kuninaga of Sesshu. During the Oei era of the Muromachi period (1394, 631 years ago), the Munenaga line moved to Obama in Wakashu, then migrated to Mount Shosha in Banshu around the Tensho era at the end of the Muromachi period. Later, during the Keicho era of the early Edo period (1605, 420 years ago), they moved to the Himeji castle town. During the Edo period, Himeji Castle was ruled by the Sakai clan, hereditary vassals (fudai) of the Tokugawa, and the town flourished as the greatest defensive stronghold facing the west. This sword is a precious piece from around the Meireki era (1655, 370 years ago), featuring the early Munenaga (宗永) mei. This sword displays the Kanbun Shinto sugata, characterized by a noticeable difference between the motohaba and sakihaba with shallow sori. The jigane is forged in ko-itame hada with abundant jinie. The horimono consists of a koshi-hi carved only on the omote side. The hamon is a crisp suguha-style tempered in nioi-deki with nie, imitating the Yamashiro Rai school, occasionally showing togari-ba, and is very well executed. This sword, crafted by the swordsmith Munenaga in Himeji, was entrusted with the precious history of the Kobayashi family—specifically Kobayashi Rikichi Fujiwara Toshiaki—who served the Sakai family of Yamagata with loyalty for seven generations through their move to Himeji. It was preserved to leave their legacy to the world and their descendants. On this occasion, we received this sword from an old estate with the request: "I have grown old, so please pass this on to the next generation at a low price." Therefore, we are offering it at a special bargain price. There is no other sword that leaves the history of the samurai to posterity so grandly; this is a wonderfully lucky and precious blade. Please, everyone, share in the good fortune of this sword and enjoy it.
NihontoWatchOei (1394-1428) · nagasa 74.9cm · sori 0.4cm
Yamashiro-den · Wakasa · around 1394-1428
Tōken Taikan top 37%
2 pieces on the market now
Yamashiro-den · Settsu
6 pieces on the market now
The Nakajima Rai designation identifies swordmaking traditions established when Rai Kuninaga, a disciple of the Kyōto master Rai Kunitoshi, relocated to the Nakajima district of Settsu Province during the late Kamakura period. This move represented both geographical expansion of Rai school influence beyond the imperial capital and the deliberate transplantation of technically sophisticated Kyōto nie-based forging practices into a provincial setting. According to historical sword compendia, smiths using this designation are traditionally counted as two generations: the first active during the Gentoku era (1329–1331), and the second working through the middle decades of the fourteenth century, spanning the Shōhei and Ōan eras. Signed examples are exceedingly rare, and most attributions rest on stylistic analysis of unsigned blades greatly shortened from their original dimensions. Nakajima Rai workmanship faithfully perpetuates the core technical vocabulary of the main Rai school while exhibiting slightly more restrained execution. The forging typically shows compact ko-itame-hada or itame mixed with mokume and nagare-hada, frequently with a tendency toward standing grain; the surface is heavily laden with fine ji-nie that forms in thick, crystalline masses, producing a bright, clear appearance. Chikei enter actively and repeatedly, and faint nie-utsuri often appears along the shinogi side. The hamon follows a characteristic broad suguha-based pattern, into which are mixed ko-gunome, ko-chōji, and small midare elements; within this foundation, ashi and yō enter abundantly, and the nioiguchi is uniformly described as bright and clear.
Internal activities—kinsuji, sunagashi, yubashiri, hotsure, kuichigai-ba, nijūba, and uchi-noke—appear frequently along the habuchi, creating rich variation within the temper line. The bōshi typically forms ko-maru with hakikake, often showing vigorous activity. The overall impression is one of technically accomplished nie-deki work in which the foundational suguha serves as a vehicle for highly active crystalline formations and internal dynamics, closely resembling the style of Rai Kunimitsu but yielding slightly in artistic rank. Extant Nakajima Rai blades almost invariably preserve the bold proportions characteristic of Nanbokuchō-period production: wide mihaba with little taper from base to tip, shallow or deep sori (often retaining koshizori or wazori despite shortening), and extended chū-kissaki or ō-kissaki. Even when greatly shortened, these blades retain an imposing, martial presence that pairs well with the vigorous, nie-laden forging and temper. The technical consistency across designated examples—tight itame with thick ji-nie, broad suguha with active nie, and bright nioiguchi—establishes a coherent stylistic profile that clearly descends from Kyōto Rai traditions while expressing a distinctive provincial character. The combination of robust construction, excellent preservation in surviving examples, and flavorful hataraki within both ji and ha renders Nakajima Rai an important regional expression of late Kamakura and Nanbokuchō swordmaking, preserving the technical sophistication of the capital school in a relocated context. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Kuninaga國長 | 1329-1331 | 58 |
| Kuninaga國長 | 1345-1350 | 11 |
| Kuninaga國長 | 1331-1336 | 2 |
| Munenaga宗長 | 1394-1428 | 0 |
| Naga長 | 1362-1368 | 1 |
The Muromachi period (1392 to 1573)
After the Ōnin War broke the Ashikaga order, a century of Sengoku warfare armed nearly every province in Japan. The era rewards a discriminating eye: routine work exists in quantity, and beside it stand custom blades of the first 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 returns due to customer circumstances, the cost is the customer's responsibility. For returns due to our mis-shipment or a defective item, we bear the cost.
¥650,000
