Modern Japan made the sword an exile, then an artwork: the 1876 Haitōrei ended sword wearing, the postwar ban nearly ended the craft, and the revival built on the NBTHK’s founding in 1948 remade it as a licensed art.
This tanto is a masterpiece by Kasama Shigetsugu, a modern master known for his Bizen-den style and blade carvings. It was forged for Yamakoshi Tomisaburo using leftover steel from a sword dedicated to Meiji Jingu. The blade features a slightly inward curvature, a tight ko-itame hada with thick ji-nie, and a vibrant, bright iron color. The chōji-midare hamon shows undulations, with a bright ha-buchi like fresh snow and long nie-ashi in the clear ha-chu, complemented by a long inazuma-like kinsuji on the ura side. The koshirae, mimicking old wood, is a unique work with horn fittings and a clever nested saya design.
NihontoWatchmei · Taisho · nagasa 20cm
Tokyo · around 1912-1926
Tōken Taikan top 63%
7 pieces on the market now
The modern era (1868 to today)
Modern Japan made the sword an exile, then an artwork: the 1876 Haitōrei ended sword wearing, the postwar ban nearly ended the craft, and the revival built on the NBTHK’s founding in 1948 remade it as a licensed art.
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 siteIf, due to our fault, the item differs significantly from its proper condition, the item may be returned. Cooling-off is within one week of the item's arrival.
¥850,000
This tanto is a masterpiece by Kasama Shigetsugu, a modern master known for his Bizen-den style and blade carvings. It was forged for Yamakoshi Tomisaburo using leftover steel from a sword dedicated to Meiji Jingu. The blade features a slightly inward curvature, a tight ko-itame hada with thick ji-nie, and a vibrant, bright iron color. The chōji-midare hamon shows undulations, with a bright ha-buchi like fresh snow and long nie-ashi in the clear ha-chu, complemented by a long inazuma-like kinsuji on the ura side. The koshirae, mimicking old wood, is a unique work with horn fittings and a clever nested saya design.
NihontoWatchmei · Taisho · nagasa 20cm
Tokyo · around 1912-1926
Tōken Taikan top 63%
7 pieces on the market now
The modern era (1868 to today)
Modern Japan made the sword an exile, then an artwork: the 1876 Haitōrei ended sword wearing, the postwar ban nearly ended the craft, and the revival built on the NBTHK’s founding in 1948 remade it as a licensed art.
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 siteIf, due to our fault, the item differs significantly from its proper condition, the item may be returned. Cooling-off is within one week of the item's arrival.
¥850,000
