A Yoshishige Katana (良重)

This fine gendaito katana by Yoshishige was forged in the early Shôwa period, circa 1926, working from Gifu prefecture in the heart of Japan’s historic Mino sword-making region. Freshly polished in 2019 and stored in a new shirasaya, the blade is in excellent condition and ready to appreciate. The jihada is a tight itame-hada that speaks to a disciplined forging technique, while the hamon opens from a classic sugu-yakidashi before breaking into a lively ko-gunome midare formation rich in togari, sunagashi, and golden kinsuji – a clear nod to the Mino tradition that shaped swordmaking in this region for centuries.

The complete uchigatana-koshirae is a remarkable highlight of this piece. Lacquered in stone-surface black (kuro-ishime-ji-nuri), it is fitted with a matching set of mid-Edo soroi-kanagu from the Oda School of Satsuma province, each piece rendered in iron and silver in the design of nata mame – Japan’s beloved sword bean, long revered for its medicinal properties. The menuki are finely crafted imperial chrysanthemums in gold on shakudô branches, and the same-kawa ray skin has been carefully preserved from the Edo period. A near 400-year-old Kô-Kinkô sukashi tsuba in the form of an ume plum blossom, certified to the mid-Edo period, completes this cohesive and characterful ensemble.

The sword carries an NTHK-NPO Kanteisho certificate of authenticity for the blade, issued Heisei 24 (2012), along with three further NTHK-NPO certificates covering the koshirae, tsuba, and soroi-kanagu. This is a highly complete package – shirasaya, koshirae, bags, stand, kit, DVD, booklet, and printed description all included.