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Articles |A BRIEF HISTORY OF JAPANESE ARMOR
The earliest surviving examples of Japanese armor are those artifacts excavated from the great tumuli dating to the fifth century…
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Articles |MAGOROKU KANEMOTO 孫六兼元
Magoroku Kanemoto (孫六兼元) worked in Akasaka in Mino Province around the beginning of the sixteenth century. He flourished during the…
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Articles |IZUMI NO KAMI KUNISADA 和泉守国貞
Kunisada (国貞) was born in Tensho 18 (1590) in Hyuga province, present day Miyazaki prefecture. He became a student of…
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Articles |HASEBE KUNISHIGE AND HASEBE KUNINOBU 長谷部国重＆長谷部国信
Hasebe Kunishige (長谷部国重) has long been considered to be a pupil of Masamune (正宗) (Masamune Juttetsu). His oldest remaining dated…
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Articles |BIZEN OSAFUNE NAGAMITSU 備前長船長光
Bizen Nagamitsu (備前長光) was the son of Bizen Mitsutada (備前光忠) who was the founder of the Bizen Osafune School (備前長船).
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Articles |TAIRYÛSAI MUNEHIRO (SÔKAN) 泰龍齋宗寛
One of the most important sword smiths of the late Edo period was Koyama Munetsugu (固山宗次). It is generally acknowledged…
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Articles |THE AZUCHI-MOMOYAMA ERA 安土桃山時代
The Azuchi-Momoyama Jidai (安土桃山時代) is the final phase of the Sengoku Jidai (戦国時代) in Japan. These years of political unification
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Articles |THE AIZU NAGAMICHI KEI (会津長道系)
Aizu Nagamichi (会津長道) was born in 1633 in Ôshû of Aizu Province. He was the son of Masanaga (政長) and…
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Articles |A BRIEF STUDY OF BIZEN BLADES OF THE MUROMACHI ERA
At the beginning of the Muromachi (室町) era around the Oei (応永) era (1394) most of the different schools in…
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Articles |THE HIZEN SCHOOL 肥前系
Before we delve into the specifics of the Hizen School perhaps it would be a good idea to discuss some…
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Articles |THE HIZEN YUKIHIRO HA 肥前行廣派
The first generation (shodai) Dewa-daijô Yukihiro (出羽大掾行廣) was called Kurôbei and he was born as the second son of Hashimoto…
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Articles |THE YASUTSUGU SCHOOL 康継系
The story of the Yasutsugu (康継) lineage starts with the birth of the first generation, Ichizaemon (市左衛門), who is believed…
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Articles |RAI KUNIMITSU 来国光
When we search for the foundations of the Rai (来)school, we must first consider the Awataguchi (粟田口) school. This was…
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Articles |ECHIZEN NO KAMI FUJIWARA TAMETSUGU AND THE EARLY SÔSHÛ SCHOOL 越前国藤原為継
Tametsugu (為継) worked in the beginning of the Nanbokuchô era and was originally from Echizen Province (越前国). While there is…
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Articles |KIYOMARO 清麿
Kiyomaro (清麿) was born in the tenth year of Bunka (1813) in Akaiwa village, part of Komoro in Shinano Province. …
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Articles |THE DEWA GASSAN SCHOOL 出羽月山系
Gassan Sadayoshi (月山貞吉) was born in 1780 in Dewa province and he was a descendant of the Gassan school of…
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Articles |BIZEN KANEMITSU 備前兼光
Bizen Kanemitsu (備前兼光) was the son of Bizen Kagemitsu (備前景光) who was the son of Bizen Nagamitsu (備前長光). He was…
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Articles |BIZEN MORISUKE 備前守助
This a very interesting tachi by the Bizen smith, Morisuke. It is signed Bishû Osafune Jû Morisuke (備州長船住守助). It is…
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Articles |HOKI NO KAMI MASAYOSHI（伯耆守正良）
Masayoshi (正良) was born in 1733. He was the son of the second generation Masayoshi (正良) and is sometimes referred…
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Articles |BIZEN OSAFUNE KAGEMITSU 備前長船景光
Bizen Kagemitsu (備前景光) was the son of Bizen Nagamitsu (備前長光) who was, in turn, the son of the founder of…
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Articles |NIJI KUNITOSHI 二字国俊
A group of swordsmiths, founded by Kuniyuki (国行) and called the “Rai school”, existed in Kyoto and thrived from the…
