A Daimichi (Daido) Katana (大道)

This is a katana that has stories to tell. Signed with a bold two-character signature, Daimichi – meaning “great path” – this long blade was forged during the turbulent Azuchi-Momoyama period, the 30-year pivot that gave way to the long peace of the Edo era. The smith also signed himself Minamoto Mutsu no Kami Daimichi, and there is a compelling theory that Daimichi and Seki Kanemichi, the founder of the great Mishina School in Kyoto, are one and the same man – the Emperor reportedly granted Kanemichi the character 大 (Dai) in 1603, transforming his name to Daimichi (大道).

At 74.5cm with an original ubu nakago and a curvature of 1.2cm typical of the period, the blade carries a remarkable hamon that opens with a wavy gunome yakidashi before shooting skyward in a clean suguha. This distinctive rising temper element at the habakiarea – known as koshiba or the Mino yakidashi – is a signature feature of Mino workmanship. The jihada is a lively mix of itame and mokume with a definitive masame running through the shinogi-ji.

On the spine, several kirikomi – prized battle scars from contact with opposing blades – speak to real use in combat. Sword polishers never remove these marks; they are part of the sword’s history. The blade received a substantial restoration polish in the 20th century and remains vibrant, with strong steel and a clear hamon. Fujishiro ranks Daimichi as Jo-saku in the Nihon Shintô Jiten. The sword is accompanied by a vintage NBTHK Tokubetsu Kichô certificate issued in 1961, and the shirasaya carries a sayagaki by Dr. Sato Kanzan, former director of the NBTHK, dating from the 1960s.