After the Ōnin War broke the Ashikaga order, a century of Sengoku warfare armed nearly every province in Japan. The era rewards a discriminating eye: routine work exists in quantity, and beside it stand custom blades of the first rank.
NihontoWatchNihontoWatchSummary This blade is attributed to Shitahara Terushige (下原照重) who was active in Musashi Province (武蔵国, present-day Tokyo) during Late Muromachi Period-early Edo period (late 16th-early 17th century). The first-generation Terushige, whose birth name was Yamamoto Genjirō (山本源次郎), was a swordsmith of the Shitahara school who was active during the Kyōroku era (享禄, 1528–1532). The maker’s name, Terushige lasted eight generations. The Shitahara school was a group of swordsmiths active in Musashi Province, in the area of present-day Hachioji, Tokyo, from the late Muromachi period, around the early 1500s, through the Edo period (1603–1868). The school developed during Japan’s Sengoku period (c. 1467–1615), an era of constant warfare, when demand for practical and durable swords was especially high. Supported by local military rulers, including the Later Hōjō clan in the 16th century, and later by the Tokugawa shogunate after 1603, the Shitahara smiths became known for producing functional weapons rather than highly decorative works. Their blades were valued for their toughness, cutting ability, and reliability in battle. Shitahara swords typically feature a strong and robust construction, relatively shallow curvature, and a distinctive forging pattern sometimes referred to as “Shitahara-hada.” Although the school is less well known internationally than major traditions such as Bizen, Sōshū, or Mino, it remains an important part of Japanese sword history and represents one of the most significant swordmaking traditions of the Tokyo region. Today, surviving Shitahara swords are studied and collected for both their historical importance and their reputation as effective fighting weapons. Horimono A Bonji character is carved in to this blade. Bonji are Sanskrit seed syllables that represent Buddhist deities and serve as sacred symbols for invoking divine protection. Among them, the character “Kān” (カーン) symbolizes Fudō Myō-ō, one of the most revered guardian deities among samurai warriors. Another Sanskrit character, “Kanmān” (カンマーン), combines with “Man” to form a sacred mantra. During the age of the samurai, warriors often incorporated such religious motifs into their armor, helmets, and swords as expressions of faith and spiritual strength in battle. On the other side of the blade, an engraving of the Kurikara-ken (倶利伽羅剣) is featured. The Kurikara-ken is the sacred sword wielded by Fudō Myō-ō and is often depicted entwined with a dragon, symbolizing the power to cut through ignorance and evil. This esoteric Buddhist emblem was believed to provide protection and spiritual strength, and samurai warriors often incorporated such motifs into their swords as a source of mental and spiritual support. The design of this Kurikara-ken follows the form of the Sanko-tsuka-ken (三鈷柄剣, Three-pronged Vajra Sword), a sacred tool in esoteric Buddhism used in rituals, prayers, and for warding off evil. It is appraised as a Hozon Token (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 black rusts and Kitae Kizu on this blade. *Please keep in mind that the size of the Koshirae is bigger than the blade. Fuchi-Kashira The Fuchi-Kashira is also decorated with eggplant (nasu, 茄子) motifs, matching those found on the menuki and creating a cohesive design throughout the sword mounting. Tsuka and Menuki The theme of this Menuki is likely nasu (茄子, eggplant) and its leaves. In Japanese culture, the eggplant is regarded as a symbol of good fortune and success. A traditional expression—”Ichi-Fuji, Ni-Taka, San-Nasubi” (“First Mt. Fuji, second a hawk, third an eggplant”)—refers to the three auspicious things to see in the first dream of the New Year. This phrase is associated with positive meanings: nasu also means “to accomplish” or “to achieve” in Japanese. For this reason, the eggplant has been widely used as a motif symbolizing wish fulfillment and personal success. Tsuba and Habaki This tsuba is decorated using the sukashi-bori (透かし彫り, openwork carving) technique. Sukashi-bori is a metalworking method in which portions of the metal are carefully cut away to create decorative patterns and designs. Saya This saya features a striking combination of black and red lacquer finishes, creating a bold contrast in both texture and color. The design is further adorned with butterfly motifs (chō, 蝶). In Japanese culture, the butterfly is a symbol of transformation and rebirth, reflecting its remarkable metamorphosis from caterpillar to chrysalis and finally to its adult form. For this reason, butterfly motifs were often favored by samurai as symbols of personal growth, renewal, and the ability to overcome challenges. Butterflies are also commonly depicted in pairs and have long been associated with harmonious relationships, marital happiness, and enduring affection. The elegant butterfly design on this saya therefore conveys wishes for both personal prosperity and domestic happiness. *Please keep in mind that there are a few damages and trace of restoration due to the aging. Authentication Paper They authenticated the blade on February 16th in the 8th year of Reiwa (2026). They appraised it as Hozon Touken, the blade especially worth preserving for Japanese society. Registration Number It is called Jyu Ho Token Rui Torokusho (銃砲刀剣類登録証).
Offered by Samurai Museum
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Shinto · Musashi
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The Shitahara group (下原) worked at Hachiōji in Bushū, the old province of Musashi, from the end of the Muromachi period and carried its forge on into the Edo period. The setsumei place the lineage among the swordmakers of Musashi in the kotō age and name Terushige, Yasushige, Hiroshige, and Chikashige as its leading hands, with the meikan recording Terushige across three generations: a shodai in Kyōroku, a nidai in Eiroku, and a sandai in Tenshō. " That same blade was made to order, in this case from Hagiwara Kaminao of Kōshū, marking the group as a working provincial forge serving its region. In the forging the setsumei return repeatedly to an itame-hada freely mixed with mokume that stands up rather than lying flat, the grain described as hada-datsu, often running to nagare near the edge and taking on an ayasugi-like, whorled or vortex-like cast in the jigane. The temper is a moderately undulating notare into which gunome enter, frequently in regular paired sequences, with pointed togariba, a chōji-like feeling at times, and ko-nie clinging along a nioiguchi that can settle into a subdued shizumi tone; sunagashi and ashi appear within the ha, and the bōshi tends to run midare-komi and turn back in maru. One katana sets gunome, ō-midare and angular elements into a notare, its bōshi sweeping off in hakikake.
The setsumei read this hand as a synthesis drawing on late Sōshū and the Muramasa line together with late Mino tendencies, which together account for the standing grain and the paired gunome. For kantei the markers are consistent: the risen mokume with its ayasugi turn, the regularly paired gunome, and a build suited to the uchigatana of the closing Muromachi years, often with pronounced sakizori and an extended chū-kissaki. Carving recurs, including bō-hi, bonji, gomabashi, and a deeply cut kurikara-ryū whose coiling tail the NBTHK singles out as characteristic. Named and dated pieces anchor the group: the Yamamoto Genjirō Terushige naginata, uncommon as a double-edged ryōba form, and a Terushige katana appraised between Eiroku and Tenshō that the register calls the hakubi of the school. The setsumei note that Shitahara work survives in number into the shintō period while outstanding examples remain few, which sets these designated blades apart within the lineage. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Terushige照重 | 1558-1570 | 2 |
| Terushige照重 | 1596-1615 | 1 |
| Yasushige康重 | 1558-1570 | 1 |
| Morishige盛重 | 1661-1673 | 0 |
| Yasushige康重 | 1661-1704 | 0 |
The Muromachi period (1392 to 1573)
After the Ōnin War broke the Ashikaga order, a century of Sengoku warfare armed nearly every province in Japan. The era rewards a discriminating eye: routine work exists in quantity, and beside it stand custom blades of the first rank.
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 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.
¥640,000
Certificate reading — 無銘（下原照重）