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 katana by Shigenori (Utaka Tokio), a renowned swordsmith and high-ranking martial artist, features a powerful form with a wide saki-haba and extended chu-kissaki. The jigane is a dense ko-itame mixed with mokume and masame, showcasing a robust beauty. The hamon is primarily suguha, with intricate hataraki along the habuchi that changes appearance with light and angle, making it captivating for appreciation. The accompanying koshirae is a practical black lacquered uchigatana koshirae, with unique, unadorned fuchi-kashira made of lacquered material rather than metal, and menuki depicting a 'key' motif.
NihontoWatchmei · Showa · nagasa 71.55cm · sori 1.6cm
Settsu · around 1989-2019
2 pieces on the market now
Shōwa to the present: destruction and revival
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.
Returns accepted within 3 days of delivery for defective items or significant discrepancies; customer bears return shipping and bank fees.
