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 tachi is a work by Gassan Sadakatsu, born in 1869 as the eldest son of the first generation Gassan Sadakazu. Forged in the Showa era (1936), it features a refined masame hada and gunome hamon, with a bright nioiguchi and prominent sunagashi. The blade comes with a silver-plated gold habaki, shirasaya, and a double paulownia box with a handwritten inscription by Gassan Sadakatsu, and has been polished for appreciation.
Certificate reading — 銘 大阪住月山貞勝謹作(花押) 昭和十一年十二月吉日
NihontoWatchmei · Gassan · Showa (1926-1989) · nagasa 68.2cm · sori 2.01cm
Shinshinto · Osaka · around 1926-1989
Fujishiro Jo saku · Tōken Taikan top 60%
9 pieces on the market now
Shinshinto · Settsu
36 pieces on the market now
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Sadakazu貞一 | 1864-1865 | 2 |
| Sadaharu貞晴 | 1865-1868 | 0 |
| Sadayoshi貞吉 | 1926-1989 | 0 |
| Yoshiaki吉明 | 1844-1848 | 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 siteReturns accepted within 3 days of delivery for defective items or significant discrepancies; customer bears return shipping and bank fees.
¥2,420,000
This tachi is a work by Gassan Sadakatsu, born in 1869 as the eldest son of the first generation Gassan Sadakazu. Forged in the Showa era (1936), it features a refined masame hada and gunome hamon, with a bright nioiguchi and prominent sunagashi. The blade comes with a silver-plated gold habaki, shirasaya, and a double paulownia box with a handwritten inscription by Gassan Sadakatsu, and has been polished for appreciation.
Certificate reading — 銘 大阪住月山貞勝謹作(花押) 昭和十一年十二月吉日
NihontoWatchmei · Gassan · Showa (1926-1989) · nagasa 68.2cm · sori 2.01cm
Shinshinto · Osaka · around 1926-1989
Fujishiro Jo saku · Tōken Taikan top 60%
9 pieces on the market now
Shinshinto · Settsu
36 pieces on the market now
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Sadakazu貞一 | 1864-1865 | 2 |
| Sadaharu貞晴 | 1865-1868 | 0 |
| Sadayoshi貞吉 | 1926-1989 | 0 |
| Yoshiaki吉明 | 1844-1848 | 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 siteReturns accepted within 3 days of delivery for defective items or significant discrepancies; customer bears return shipping and bank fees.
¥2,420,000
![Katana - Tokuho - by Gassan Sadakazu - Signed Naniwa ju Gassan Unryushi Sadakazu tsukuru [Seal] Keio gannen 11 gatsujitsu](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fitbhfhyptogxcjbjfzwx.supabase.co%2Fstorage%2Fv1%2Fobject%2Fpublic%2Flisting-images%2Fchoshuya%2FL805711%2F00.jpg&w=2560&q=90)
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