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 forged katana by Akamatsu Taro Kanemitsu (real name: Kimura Mitsuhiro), a modern swordsmith residing in Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture. Born in 1979, he began his apprenticeship under his father, Kanetsugu, in 1998 and received his forging license in 2003. The blade features a shinogi-zukuri form with an iori-mune, ko-itame hada, and ko-gunome hamon, mounted in a black silk tsukamaki koshirae with a black roiro saya.
NihontoWatchmei · 現代（令和6年・2024年） · nagasa 75.3cm · sori 1.6cm
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 forged katana by Akamatsu Taro Kanemitsu (real name: Kimura Mitsuhiro), a modern swordsmith residing in Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture. Born in 1979, he began his apprenticeship under his father, Kanetsugu, in 1998 and received his forging license in 2003. The blade features a shinogi-zukuri form with an iori-mune, ko-itame hada, and ko-gunome hamon, mounted in a black silk tsukamaki koshirae with a black roiro saya.
NihontoWatchmei · 現代（令和6年・2024年） · nagasa 75.3cm · sori 1.6cm
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.
