Mino was founded, tradition holds, by immigrants: Kaneuji of the Yamato Tegai line settled at Shizu to work in the new Sōshū manner, so persuasively that later appraisers judged his best blades the closest of any to Masamune.
NihontoWatchNihontoWatchSummary This blade is attributed to a Den Shizu (伝志津) during the Nanbokucho Period (14th century). Shizu is the name of the school and one of the most prominent figures is Shizu Saburo Kaneuji. As one of the Ten Great Disciples of Masamune, Kaneuji made significant contributions to the development of the Mino-Den. Originally from the Tegai school in Yamato Province (now Nara Prefecture), he initially went by the name Kaneuji. After studying under Masamune and mastering the Soshu tradition, he relocated to Shizu in Mino Province (now Kaizu City, Gifu Prefecture) and changed his name to Shizu Saburo Kaneuji. “Shizu” refers to the collective name for the swordsmiths from the Naoe village in Yoro Town, Gifu Prefecture, and by extension, the Japanese blades forged there. Although it is included in the Mino-Den, its style is a blend of the Yamato and Soshu traditions, making it a true precursor to the Mino-Den. Originally, Shizu was a place name in Mino Province, but it became associated with the swordsmith Kaneuji, who came to the region from the school of Masamune. Hence, the term “Shizu” often specifically refers to Kaneuji. He is counted among the Ten Great Disciples of Masamune and is one of the swordsmiths whose style is closest to that of Masamune. The style of the Shizu-Den combines elements of the Yamato and Soshu-Den, representing a source of the Mino-Den. The Shizu school refers to the school founded by Kaneuji and his descendants or disciples. The group that moved to Naoe (now in Ogaki City, Gifu Prefecture), including figures such as Kanetsugu and Kanetomo, is called “Naoe Shizu.” History of Mino-Den The Mino-Den is the most recent of the five major sword traditions and flourished in what is now the southern part of Gifu Prefecture. It was developed by Kanemichi, who came from the Yamato school’s Tegai-ha and learned the Soshu tradition, and by Kanenori from Echizen Province (now in the northeastern part of Fukui Prefecture), who was also among the Ten Great Disciples of Masamune. They moved to Mino Province and completed a sword style combining elements of the Yamato and Soshu traditions. The Mino-Den developed and thrived from the Nanbokucho(1336-1392) to the Sengoku periods (1467-1568). Mino Province was a key transportation hub connecting Kyoto with the Kansai region and the Kanto region. Additionally, powerful warlords and their retainers, such as Akechi Mitsuhide from Mino Province, Oda Nobunaga from Owari Province (now the western part of Aichi Prefecture), and Tokugawa Ieyasu from Mikawa Province (now the eastern part of Aichi Prefecture), resided in the area. Many of these figures were patrons of Mino swords, contributing to its prosperity. The Mino swords were prized for their cutting ability and suitability for battle, making them well-suited to the tastes of Sengoku-era warlords. In 1590 (Tensho 18), a major flood of the Yoshii River devastated the previously flourishing Bizen tradition. Consequently, the Mino tradition became a major producer of Japanese swords, meeting national demand and continuing its prosperity until the end of the Edo period. It is appraised as a Tokubetsu Hozon Token (特別保存刀剣) issued by NBTHK (Nihon Bijutsu Touken Hozon Kyokai:日本美術刀剣保存協会). *Please keep in mind that there are a couple of Kitae Kizu on this blade. Tsuka and Menuki The dragon is an imaginary creature found in ancient Chinese traditions or myths. Furthermore, it is regarded as a symbolic beast of auspicious signs. Its body is likened to nine animals: antlers are deer, the head is a camel, eyes are demons, the neck is a snake, belly is Mizuchi (蛟, mythical animal in Japan which looks like a snake and have a horn and four legs), scales are fish, claws are falcons, palms are tigers, and ears are cows. It was thought that the dragon would reign at the top of all animals because of its odd-looking appearance. In ancient China, the dragon pattern was used for emperors’ clothing so that people strictly defined its shape or even the number of nails. On the other hand, the dragon pattern does not have detailed rules to represent classes in Japan. However, still, it maintains its meaning as the all-purpose auspicious pattern. Also, in Japan, there is a belief that worships dragon as a water god and is called Ryujin Shinkou (竜神信仰). Since rice cultivation flourished in this country, water is always an essential resource. Therefore, the dragon motif has been familiar to Japanese people since a long time ago. Tsuba and Habaki The motif of this Tsuba is Kari or Gan (雁, wild goose). The wild goose is a migratory bird that represents fall. Its pattern is also called “Karigane (雁金),” and some families used this motif for their family crests. The design that describes diagonally flying wild geese is named “Gankou Mon (雁行文).” This bird is engraved by not only a realistic figure but also a very simplified shape: Hiragana (ひらがな, a kind of Japanese letter) “he (へ)” shape that sometimes makes also wild goose. Authentication Paper They authenticated the blade on August 25th in the 4th year of Reiwa (2022). They appraised it as Tokubetsu Hozon Touken, the blade especially worth preserving for Japanese society.
Shizu School志津派
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Mino-den · Mino
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The Shizu tradition originated in Mino Province during the late Kamakura period when Kaneuji—originally of the Yamato Tegai school—relocated from his studies under Masamune of Sagami to the village of Shizu in Tagai District. Taking the place-name as his appellation, he became known as Shizu Saburō Kaneuji, and established a lineage that would become one of the most celebrated branches among the so-called Masamune Jittetsu (Ten Great Disciples of Masamune). While Kaneuji himself is often considered the paramount master of this group, the designation "Shizu" came to be applied broadly to unsigned works displaying the characteristic manner of this school, encompassing not only Kaneuji but also his contemporaries and successors working within the same stylistic orbit. A related category, Yamato Shizu, refers either to Kaneuji's early production before settling in Mino—when his work retained stronger Yamato Tegai characteristics—or to smiths of the Kanetsugu lineage who remained in Yamato rather than migrating to Mino. The collective hallmarks of Shizu workmanship reveal a distinctive synthesis of Sōshū-den brilliance and Yamato structural sensibilities. The forging typically displays flowing itame-hada mixed with mokume, frequently tending toward hada-dachi (standing grain), with areas where masame inclinations appear along the edge. A defining feature is the dense application of fine ji-nie, often described as thickly adhering, accompanied by abundant chikei that enter repeatedly to produce a notably clear and bright appearance. The hamon favors shallow notare as a foundation, mixed with gunome, ko-gunome, and pointed elements (togariba), forming compositions that range from gentle undulations to boldly disturbed patterns.
The temper is richly nie-based, with vigorous sunagashi streaming through the pattern, frequent kinsuji, and in many examples a temper built on notare (notare-ba). Characteristic activities include hotsure along the habuchi, occasional nijūba (double-temper) effects that recall Yamato influence, and in some works the presence of linked gunome sequences. The bōshi commonly enters in midare-komi or notare-komi, turning back with pointed or rounded forms, and frequently displays hakikake at the tip. Among the upper tier of Sōshū-den productions, works attributed to the Shizu lineage are particularly valued for the way their gleaming ha-nie activities create patterns that are both vigorous and refined. The thick ji-nie and prominent chikei in the forging, combined with the bright, clear nioiguchi in the temper, result in blades that are described as saeru—possessing a luminous clarity that distinguishes superior examples. While the style stands closest to Masamune among his disciples, the Shizu manner retains its own individuality: the blending of Yamato characteristics into the Sōshū tradition produces a distinctive temperament in both ji and ha that connoisseurs recognize at a glance. Many extant examples survive only as greatly shortened (ō-suriage) and unsigned (mumei) blades, yet the workmanship in such pieces typically remains sound and well-preserved (kenzen), testifying to the fundamental excellence of forging and tempering that defines this celebrated school. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Kaneuji兼氏 | 1319-1321 | 161 |
| Naoshizu直鎭 | 1532-1555 | 0 |
Mino in the Nanbokuchō period
Mino was founded, tradition holds, by immigrants: Kaneuji of the Yamato Tegai line settled at Shizu to work in the new Sōshū manner, so persuasively that later appraisers judged his best blades the closest of any to Masamune.
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 siteReturns/exchanges limited to defects caused by shipping (except willful misconduct or gross negligence by the company); customers must contact within 72 hours of receiving the product.