NihontoWatchThis piece is a masterpiece made by Gassan Sadakazu I during the Meiji period. The sword is extremely well preserved, with zero flaws, chips, dents, or rust. The jigane is well packed with itame and the hamon is sakachoji with long ashi in notare. Boshi is midarekomi and is breathtaking at first glance. The nakago is engraved on the sashiomote side with osaka ju gassan sada kazu kore wo seiren, and on the sashiura side with meiji sanjugonen hachigatsubi. In other words, this work was made in August 1902. Gassan Sadakazu was born in 1836 in Omi Province (present-day Shiga Prefecture) as a child of the Tsukamoto family. At the age of seven, he was adopted by Gassan Sadayoshi, an active swordsmith in Osaka. He began training as a swordsmith at the age of 11, and his progress was remarkable. In 1851, at the age of 16, he made a highly finished wakizashi that astonished everyone around him, and his talent was noticed from early on. In the Meiji period (1868-1912), when the Sword Law was enacted in 1876, demand for Japanese swords declined dramatically, forcing many swordsmiths to change or close their businesses. Sadakazu, however, remained dedicated to sword making, and in 1906 he was appointed “Imperial Household Artisan,” the highest honor for a swordsmith at the time, in other words, an official swordsmith to the Ministry of the Imperial Household. As a result, he left his mark on the swordsmith world by making swords for the Emperor Meiji, who was renowned for his love of swords, as well as swords for members of the Imperial Family and other prominent figures. His grandson and successor, Sadakazu II, was designated a Living National Treasure (holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property) in 1971. This sword was made in 1902, four years before he became the Imperial Household Artisan, and its form and beauty as a Japanese sword show his maturity. In its perfection, the Society for Preservation of Japanese Art and Swords issued a certificate of authenticity in Dec
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Shinshinto · Settsu · around 1864-1865
Fujishiro Jo saku · Tōken Taikan top 23%
7 pieces on the market now
Where Sadakazu 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.
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Shinshinto · Settsu
27 pieces on the market now
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Sadaharu貞晴 | 1865-1868 | 0 |
| Sadayoshi貞吉 | 1926-1989 | 0 |
| Yoshiaki吉明 | 1844-1848 | 0 |
| Naonobu直信 | 1854-1860 | 0 |
| Sadayoshi貞吉 | 1830-1863 | 0 |
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.
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 siteAs a general rule, returns/exchanges are not accepted on Japanese sword orders unless damaged upon delivery. Other items: returns/exchanges accepted within 7 days of delivery. Cancellation for personal reasons incurs a 30% restocking fee (70% refunded). Return shipping must be prepaid and insured by the buyer; shipping/handling fees are non-refundable. Contact katana@tozando.co.jp to initiate a return.