（Token Bijutsu No.588）

Nihon Koto Shi

(History of Koto)

By Dr. Honma Junji

(34)

(P.41)

8. Oshu-mono

(Oshu Swords or Smiths)

‘Kanchi In Bon‘ and other swordsmith directories list many smith names from Mutsu and Dewa Provinces between the Nara and the Kamakura Periods, though, there are only extant works of Hoju exist but others. The smith name of Hoju had been succeeded to through the Nambokucho Period up to the Muromachi Period. Hoju forges whitish jigane and itame-hada that combines nagare-hada and stands out, and tempers ko-midare and sugu-ha mixed with ko-midare in accompanied by a hazy nioi-guchi in nie-deki. There are a few extant works that have clear jigane and also a hamon with a bright nioi-guchi. An o-dachi by Hoju is owned by Mitake Shrine of Musashi Province and it appears to be one of his works between the Eitoku and the Kenmu Eras.

(Reference oshigata)

Juyo Token : Tachi Mei “EIWA 2 NEN 8 GATSU HI” “HOJU”

“EITOKU ? NEN MIZUNOE INU 8 GATSU HI HOJU”

(P.42)

Mt. Gassan had been a training area of mountain priests since olden times and ‘Kanchi In Bon’ says that swordsmiths who used the smith name of Gassan, existed there since the Heian Period, though, there is no extant work of Gassan with a mei before the end of the Nambokucho Period. There does exist an interesting tachi with the mei of ‘Gunsho’ and a production date of the Joji Era. In addition, the Chinese characters of ‘Namu Kora Hachiman Dai Bosatsu’ are carved on the blade. Ayasugi-hada is a peculiarity of the jihada produced by Gassan. No ayasugi-hada is seen in the jihada of this tachi but nagare-hada and the nioi-guchi looks hazy. As a whole, the workmanship resembles that that of the Naminohira school of the Kyushu District. The late Dr. Naoichi Miyaji says that the religious faith of ‘Kora Hachiman’ did not occurred in Dewa Province by this period yet. If this theory is correct, this Gunsho is different from Gassan Gunsho or Gunsho is a native smith of Kyushu who then moved to Dewa Province later. There were many mountain priests who engaged in sword forging soit is highly possible that they had a considerable influence on other swordsmiths since they travelled across the country.

9. Hokkoku-mono

(Hokuriku Swords)

Hokkoku-mono is a general term for swords made by swordsmiths of the provinces in the Hokuriku District. Generally speaking, this term means that swords show unrefined workmanship without clear jigane and bright hamon. They normally rank low except for Go Yoshihiro and Norishige, though, there are more skilful smiths apart from Yoshihiro and Norishige in this district. Fist of all, Chiyozuru Kuniyasu is to be mentioned. He lived in Echizen province around the Joji Era and was a student of Rai Kuniyasu then became the founder of the Chiyozuru school. It is said that he signed ‘Rai Kuniyasu’ or just ‘Chiyozuru’. A smith called Rai Munemitsu lived in this province too. These two smiths are called ‘Echizen Rai’. There is a smith called Morihiro who belonged to the lineage of Kuniyasu. It is said that the first generation of Morihiro was active in the Oei Era but I have seen a tachi with the mei of Morihiro that can be attributed to the Nambokucho Period. The jihada of the tachi tend to be masame-hada, the hamon is hitatsura based on gunome-midare in thick nie-deki then sunagashi are seen inside the hamon. The workmanship is totally different from that of the Rai school of Yamashiro Province.

I have already referred to Fujishima Tomoshige who is said to be a student of Rai Kunitoshi. A theory says that Tomoshige was born in Echizen Province then moved to Kaga Province later. The production date of his sword is seen after the Oei Era but there are his extant works that appear to come from the Nambokucho Period. The manner of his hamon is different from that of Mino and Bizen smiths but his midare-ba based on gunome and sugu-ha somewhat resembles that of Nobukuni of Yamashiro Province. His jigane is clear and hamon is bright then sunagashi are seen inside the hamon.

(Reference photos)

“GASSAN” (owned by the Gassan Shrine)

“MORIHIRO”

(P.43)

I have seen three tanto with the mei of ‘Esshu Ju Kuniyuki’, which have a wide mi-haba. The hamon of the two tanto is sugu-ha. Swordsmith directories list an oshigata of ‘Esshu Ju Fujiwara no Kuniyuki’ with a production date of the Joji Era. The hamon of the other one is midare-ba but the nakago is badly eroded. A kantei expert attributed it to Hasebe Kunishige and made a saya-gaki on its shirasaya after careless inspection. The rank and the production age agree with those of Hasebe Kunishige but the hamon is not correspondent to Kunishige. His lineage is uncertain and it needs more consideration to establish if this Kuniyuki has any relationship with Akasaka-Senjuin Kuniyuki who is listed in ‘Kozan Oshigata’

(Reference photos and oshigata)

Juyo Bijutsu Hin : Tachi Mei “FUJISHIMA TOMOSHIGE”

“ESSHU JU FUJIWARA (NO) KUNIYUKI

“JOJI 4 NEN 10 GATSU HI”

“FUJISHIMA TOMOSHIGE”

“FUJISHIMA TOMOSHIGE”

(P.44)

In Kaga Province, there is a smith called Yukimitsu who belongs to the Fujishima (Tomoshige) school and the smith name had been succeeded through the end of the Kamakura Period up to the Edo Period but no extant work of Yukimitsu before Muromachi Period has been confirmed. Sanekage who is said to be a student of Norishige lived in this province and there is a fine extant tanto with the mei of ‘Gashu Ju Sanekane’ in thin chiselling and a production date of the Joji. The jihada of the tanto is itame-hada with many chikei like Norishige’s in Soshu-den. The hamon is ko-midare based on ko-gunome in thick nie-deki then many sunagashi are seen inside the hamon. The blade has a little wide mi-haba and shallow sori reflecting the flavour of the period. There are more extant tanto by him but Soshu-den is not so emphasised in the latter　(jihada with few chikei and o-midare or hoso-sugu-ha) as the former. Incidentally, his tachi with mei had not been confirmed. His direct connection with Norishige is very doubtful inferring from their active ages. There are extant works of Sanekage with jihada with few chikei, o-midare and mei in large characters. They appear to be the work of his second generation of which oshigata listed in swordsmith directories, ‘Kashu Iwataki Ju Sanekage’ with a production date of the Eitoku Era.

(Reference oshigata and photos)

“GASHU JU SANEKAGE” (with a date of ‘Joji 6 Nen Gatsu Hi’)

Tokubetsu Juyo Token : Wakizashi Mei “ESSHU JU KUNIYUKI”

V “JOJI 4 NEN 10 GATSU HI”