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 is a katana by Minamoto Yoshichika, a smith renowned for his cutting ability, and famously favored by Nakayama Hakudo, the "Sword Saint of the Showa Era." The blade features a mokume jihada and gunome hamon, with a kiritsuke-mei on the nakago recording a test cut by Nakayama Hakudo. Both the blade and koshirae are in excellent condition, making this a rare and historically significant piece.
NihontoWatchkiritsuke-mei · Showa · nagasa 74.9cm · sori 1.3cm
Tokyo · around 1912-1926
2 pieces on the market now
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.
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 siteThree-day cooling-off period from receipt for refund or exchange. Return shipping and transfer fees are customer responsibility. Items showing use or condition changes are non-returnable.
¥950,000
This is a katana by Minamoto Yoshichika, a smith renowned for his cutting ability, and famously favored by Nakayama Hakudo, the "Sword Saint of the Showa Era." The blade features a mokume jihada and gunome hamon, with a kiritsuke-mei on the nakago recording a test cut by Nakayama Hakudo. Both the blade and koshirae are in excellent condition, making this a rare and historically significant piece.
NihontoWatchkiritsuke-mei · Showa · nagasa 74.9cm · sori 1.3cm
Tokyo · around 1912-1926
2 pieces on the market now
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.
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 siteThree-day cooling-off period from receipt for refund or exchange. Return shipping and transfer fees are customer responsibility. Items showing use or condition changes are non-returnable.
¥950,000
