Weight (toushin only): 550g It has appeared, it has appeared—a phantom masterpiece has appeared. Even at the Kyoto Sword Exhibition held at the Kyoto National Museum a few years ago, which was a massive success with over 400,000 visitors, only a single piece could be displayed. In our youth, we heard stories of him, but could never behold an actual specimen. This is the miraculous appearance of a precious work by the swordsmith Higashiyama-ju Yoshihira, the nephew of Umetada Myoju, who is revered as the founder of Shinto. Higashiyama-ju Yoshihira is said to be the most outstanding swordsmith among the Umetada school and resided in Higashiyama, Kyoto. Because the Umetada family handled many political duties for the Imperial Family and the Court, extant works by him—much like those of Umetada Myoju—are extremely rare, making this wakizashi incredibly precious. Yoshihira’s real name was Umetada Denzaburo. He was the third son of Umetada Shigeyoshi (Meishin), the younger brother of Umetada Myoju who succeeded the Umetada house, and it is said he learned sword forging from his second older brother, Yoshinobu. This wakizashi is a special-order piece (tokubetsu chumon-hin), exhibiting a magnificent wakizashi sugata with a wide moto-mihaba, a distinct difference between the moto and saki-mihaba, a deep sori, and an extended kissaki. The jigane is a masterfully forged, bright metal with a tightly packed mokume-hada and abundant ji-nie. The hamon is a wide o-gunome midare-ba with deep nioiguchi, resembling fallen light snow, displaying dynamic nie-suji within the ha. On the omote side, many "tama" (jewels) are fired into the ji, creating a unique and spirited midare-ba that is truly magnificent. While the swords of Higashiyama Yoshihira are famous, they are extremely few in number, making this a phantom-like, precious wakizashi for the sword world. On this occasion, an old connoisseur (sukisha) who has cherished this wakizashi entrusted it to us, asking that it be passed on at a low price to someone who will value it. Therefore, this phantom wakizashi by Higashiyama-ju Yoshihira, which one normally never sees, is a bargain even at this price; we are offering it at a special, ultra-low price. Please do enjoy it.
Certificate reading — 銘 東山住美平
NihontoWatchBETAEdo · nagasa 53.6cm · sori 1.5cm
Shinto · Yamashiro · around 1681-1684
Tōken Taikan top 21%
4 pieces on the market now
Where Yoshihira 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 · Kyoto
43 pieces on the market now
The Umetada school is one of the most distinguished metalworking lineages of the Momoyama period, rooted in Nishijin, Kyoto, and claiming descent from the legendary Sanjo Munechika. The house served the Ashikaga shogunal family over successive generations, establishing deep foundations in the full range of sword-related arts -- swordmaking, blade carving (toshin-bori), the production of steel and fittings, the shortening of blades, the insertion of inlaid signature attributions (zogan-mei), and the making of mountings. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Myoju明寿 | 1590-1631 | 45 |
| Muneyoshi宗吉 | 1596-1615 | 5 |
| Naritsugu就次 | — | 0 |
| Umetada Mitsushige光重 | 1700-1750 | 0 |
| Kaji’emon加治右衛門 | — | 0 |
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 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.
Weight (toushin only): 550g It has appeared, it has appeared—a phantom masterpiece has appeared. Even at the Kyoto Sword Exhibition held at the Kyoto National Museum a few years ago, which was a massive success with over 400,000 visitors, only a single piece could be displayed. In our youth, we heard stories of him, but could never behold an actual specimen. This is the miraculous appearance of a precious work by the swordsmith Higashiyama-ju Yoshihira, the nephew of Umetada Myoju, who is revered as the founder of Shinto. Higashiyama-ju Yoshihira is said to be the most outstanding swordsmith among the Umetada school and resided in Higashiyama, Kyoto. Because the Umetada family handled many political duties for the Imperial Family and the Court, extant works by him—much like those of Umetada Myoju—are extremely rare, making this wakizashi incredibly precious. Yoshihira’s real name was Umetada Denzaburo. He was the third son of Umetada Shigeyoshi (Meishin), the younger brother of Umetada Myoju who succeeded the Umetada house, and it is said he learned sword forging from his second older brother, Yoshinobu. This wakizashi is a special-order piece (tokubetsu chumon-hin), exhibiting a magnificent wakizashi sugata with a wide moto-mihaba, a distinct difference between the moto and saki-mihaba, a deep sori, and an extended kissaki. The jigane is a masterfully forged, bright metal with a tightly packed mokume-hada and abundant ji-nie. The hamon is a wide o-gunome midare-ba with deep nioiguchi, resembling fallen light snow, displaying dynamic nie-suji within the ha. On the omote side, many "tama" (jewels) are fired into the ji, creating a unique and spirited midare-ba that is truly magnificent. While the swords of Higashiyama Yoshihira are famous, they are extremely few in number, making this a phantom-like, precious wakizashi for the sword world. On this occasion, an old connoisseur (sukisha) who has cherished this wakizashi entrusted it to us, asking that it be passed on at a low price to someone who will value it. Therefore, this phantom wakizashi by Higashiyama-ju Yoshihira, which one normally never sees, is a bargain even at this price; we are offering it at a special, ultra-low price. Please do enjoy it.
Certificate reading — 銘 東山住美平
NihontoWatchBETAEdo · nagasa 53.6cm · sori 1.5cm
Shinto · Yamashiro · around 1681-1684
Tōken Taikan top 21%
4 pieces on the market now
Where Yoshihira 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 · Kyoto
43 pieces on the market now
The Umetada school is one of the most distinguished metalworking lineages of the Momoyama period, rooted in Nishijin, Kyoto, and claiming descent from the legendary Sanjo Munechika. The house served the Ashikaga shogunal family over successive generations, establishing deep foundations in the full range of sword-related arts -- swordmaking, blade carving (toshin-bori), the production of steel and fittings, the shortening of blades, the insertion of inlaid signature attributions (zogan-mei), and the making of mountings. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Myoju明寿 | 1590-1631 | 45 |
| Muneyoshi宗吉 | 1596-1615 | 5 |
| Naritsugu就次 | — | 0 |
| Umetada Mitsushige光重 | 1700-1750 | 0 |
| Kaji’emon加治右衛門 | — | 0 |
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 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.
